Fewer salary increases and fewer bonuses: the 2026 executive compensation barometer published by Apec shows a clear slowdown, with a 3.6% loss of purchasing power over the year, amid 3.4% inflation.
Only 46% of executives received a salary increase in 2026, compared with 53% in 2025. Executives in their thirties and forties have been hit hardest by this slowdown, with median compensation declining significantly. By contrast, executives under 30 are faring better: 64% received a salary increase, a level close to that seen before 2025.
A useful signal for negotiations: executives who changed companies or secured an internal move received more substantial increases than those who remained in the same position, confirming that mobility remains a more effective compensation lever than waiting.