The Hidden Cost of Board Reporting: The Average Organisation Spends £2.8M ($3.6M) a Year

Board Intelligence and the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland quantified board reporting costs using calculator data from 996 directors, executives and governance professionals across nearly 800 organisations (2019-2025). The average organisation spends £2.8M (~$3.6M) a year on board reporting — 2,117 working days — across an average of 31 board and committee meetings, roughly £90K (~$115K) per meeting cycle from preparation to follow-up. Costs are up 177% since 2019 overall, with mid-market organisations (£100M-£500M turnover) up 142%. Writing the papers absorbs 84.7% of the total cost; reading 13.7%; compiling 1.6%. The cost sits overwhelmingly BEFORE the room — direct evidence for upstream decision-preparation discipline in SEA/GCC mid-market rooms.