Signal Leaders in Saudi Arabia and Japan report the least geopolitical impact

Summary

Country results in McKinsey's 2026 survey show that leaders in Saudi Arabia and Japan are the most likely to say geopolitics has left their organizations largely untouched. About two in five leaders in each country gave that answer, well above the survey-wide average. The breakdown puts Saudi Arabia at 40 percent and Japan at 39 percent in the little-or-not-affected category. McKinsey explains the gap by business model, saying companies in these markets lean more toward services than goods. They also concentrate more heavily on their domestic markets, which limits exposure to cross-border trade friction. The finding shows that the nature and geography of a home market shape how strongly geopolitical shifts are felt.