Everpure Global Data Sovereignty Report 2026 finds a gap between growing concerns over data sovereignty and organizational readiness to address them.
Everpure has released new global research revealing that 88% of large enterprise C-suite leaders believe a data sovereignty failure could cost them their jobs, while 91% worry about financial and reputational damage to their organization.
Despite these high stakes, 64% of organizations operate without a formal data sovereignty strategy in place—exposing a vulnerability in modern enterprise data management in today’s uncertain geopolitical environment.
Everpure Global Data Sovereignty Report 2026 Highlights
Everpure’s Global Data Sovereignty Report 2026 surveyed 2,100 enterprise leaders across eight countries to evaluate intent against real operational readiness. The results reveal:
Data Sovereignty Concern is Real:
- 90% of organizations recognize data sovereignty as a business concern, with the overwhelming majority expecting severe financial or leadership consequences in the event of a failure.
- 85% are willing to compromise on advanced features and functionality to work with a local or sovereign provider.
- 40% are already limiting their use of SaaS providers reliant on non-domestic infrastructure.
Recognition without Readiness:
- Despite these revelations, 64% of organizations operate without a formal data sovereignty strategy in place.
- 62% lack full visibility into who can access, control and manage their data.
- 56% have no mitigation plans for geopolitical data exfiltration or service disruption.
- 56% admit they lack the skills and capacity to deliver sovereignty initiatives, while 36% are facing challenges with executive buy-in.
- Only 9% say protection from extraterritorial data access is a top priority.
“Senior leaders understand their jobs are on the line over data sovereignty, yet many are still focused on the wrong risks. Sovereignty is not simply about where data is stored, but having full visibility and control over it through modern data management. Who can access data, which jurisdictions apply and whether business-critical data or services could be disrupted are key questions every organization should be asking,” said Alex McMullan, Chief Technology Officer, International, Everpure.
“Digital sovereignty has moved from a compliance conversation to a critical board-level concern. The challenge for executives is not just about knowing where their data are hosted. It is about being in total control of all data access and transfers (including all metadata), guaranteed protection against extra-territorial data requests, and managing IT and vendor risks in the light of geopolitical uncertainties,” said Rahiel Nasir, Research Director and Lead Analyst, Worldwide Digital Sovereignty, IDC.
Source: Everpure Global Data Sovereignty Report 2026
Disclaimer: This article is based on Everpure’s Global Data Sovereignty Report 2026 and has been edited for length and readability. Readers are advised to review the full report for methodology and findings.
