IFMA & Simplar Foundation Release FM Pulse Report

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02 February 2026

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the Simplar Foundation has released the Facility Management Pulse Report.

The report delivers a global, data-driven snapshot of the facility management (FM) market, anchored by IFMA’s new FM Workload Index (FMWI), which captures how workload, budgets, staffing and projects are expected to shift over the next year.

The Facility Management Pulse Report is based on more than 1,400 survey responses, including nearly 1,200 facility practitioners, 200 vendors or service partners, and a small group of professionals in other roles. Results presented in this report focus primarily on FM respondents, representing countries across North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia‑Pacific, as well as sectors such as professional, scientific and technical services; public administration; finance and insurance; health care; education; manufacturing and utilities.

Based on all responses to IFMA’s Q3 2025 Facility Management Index and Economic Pulse Survey, the FMWI estimates workload expectations on a scale from −100 to +100. Scores above zero indicate expected increases; the farther from zero, the stronger the lean. The inaugural FMWI reading is +43, which means more facility professionals expect their overall workload to rise.

The survey asked facility professionals worldwide whether they expected their overall workload to increase, decrease or stay about the same. Respondents included facility practitioners across 80 countries, managing 3.2 billion square feet (300 million square meters) and representing a wide range of industry sectors. Consequently, the FMWI provides a consistent barometer across sectors, regions and future survey waves, providing FM leaders with a simple way to compare conditions and track change over time. 

“FM leaders face steady workload growth supported by modest budgets and constrained staffing,” said Nickalos Rocha, IFMA’s director of benchmarking. “Organisations that align planning, sourcing and risk management early will be best positioned to sustain momentum, meet demand and deliver consistent results.”

“Thanks to the participation of our respondents, we’re able to provide facility professionals the strategic foresight to skilfully navigate and capitalise on evolving risks and demands,” said Michael V. Geary, CAE, IFMA’s president and CEO. “The findings, and specifically the FMWI, are of immense value in understanding industry drivers, challenges and expectations across regions and sectors. It helps ensure that FMs and their organisations are not caught off guard by factors influencing market dynamics but are better prepared to respond to supply and staffing issues, scope changes, economic conditions, regulatory impacts, and other risks and opportunities.”

To access the Facility Management Pulse Report, click here.

Picture: An image of the front cover of the Facility Management Pulse Report.

Article written by Dave Mapps | Published 02 February 2026

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