Consumers say they will pay an average premium of 9.7% for sustainable goods, even as cost-of-living pressures and inflation dominate their household concerns, according to PwC's 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey.

The figure gives marketing leaders a concrete benchmark for pricing sustainable product lines. Nearly one in ten percentage points of headroom exists on price, PwC reports, at a moment when shoppers are actively managing squeezed budgets.

What does the 9.7% figure signal for CMOs?

The premium is notable because it holds against a hostile economic backdrop. PwC frames the result as evidence that sustainability demand is resilient, not a luxury-spending artifact that collapses when inflation rises.

For brand and pricing teams, the survey points to a real tension to manage: consumers carry inflationary and cost-of-living worries, yet they still assign measurable value to sustainable attributes. That combination favors:

• Clear sustainability claims tied to price justification
• Value framing that acknowledges budget pressure rather than ignoring it
• Pricing strategies that treat the ~9.7% premium as a ceiling, not a default

Why the context matters

PwC conducted the survey in 2024 and titled it Voice of the Consumer, positioning it as a recurring read on consumer sentiment. The headline finding couples two forces that usually pull in opposite directions: willingness to pay more for sustainability, and acute sensitivity to price.

The 9.7% figure is an average across respondents, so actual premium tolerance will vary by category, market and income segment. PwC presents the number at the global survey level.

What should marketing leaders watch next?

The survey's core message for CMOs is that sustainability remains a pricing lever even in a downcycle. Brands that can prove sustainability claims — and connect them to value — can defend margin while competitors compete purely on price.

The risk runs the other way too. Consumers under financial strain scrutinize whether a premium is justified. Claims without substance invite both regulatory attention and customer attrition.

PwC's 2024 survey suggests the demand side of sustainability is not the constraint. Execution, proof and pricing discipline are.

PwC's full 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey contains additional category-level detail for teams building sustainability pricing cases.