Cloud Repatriation Statistics

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Gemma Skelley
Head of Marketing
January 19, 2026

Cloud repatriation is the process of moving workloads from public cloud platforms back to on-premises or into hybrid environments. It’s becoming increasingly common as organisations take a more considered view of where their applications and data should live.

Rather than signalling a move away from cloud, cloud repatriation reflects a shift towards cloud-fit thinking by matching workloads to the environments that best support performance, cost control, security, and compliance. As cloud estates mature, many IT leaders are realising that a one-size-fits-all cloud strategy doesn’t always deliver the outcomes they expected.

Cloud adoption & expectations

Public cloud adoption remains high. According to broader industry data, over 90% of organisations now use cloud computing in some form; public, private, or hybrid, as part of their core IT strategy. This widespread uptake shows that cloud remains strategic for most enterprises looking to scale and innovate. However, cloud repatriation statistics indicate that many organisations are now balancing cloud use with on-prem and hybrid models.

From DTP Group’s analysis of real-world cloud adoption patterns, sectors still hold significant on-premises infrastructure, which drives repatriation and hybrid strategies:

In a public sector study referenced by DTP Group, over 70% of organisations’ infrastructure remains on premises and 73% of data stays on premises, underscoring why repatriation and hybrid strategies are important for core systems.
The same research found 78% of public bodies say they have services that are unsuitable for public cloud migration, showing many workloads simply fit better outside purely cloud environments.
A significant 40% of organisations report a lack of in-house digital skills, which complicates unmanaged cloud adoption and sometimes leads to repatriation or hybrid optimisation decisions.

Taken together, these figures reflect a growing recognition that some systems perform better outside a purely public cloud model.

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Defining cloud repatriation and hybrid strategies

Common approaches include:

Full repatriation	Entire application stacks move back to on-premises environments.
Partial repatriation	Only specific components (e.g. databases, storage) return on-premises.
Hybrid strategies	Workloads run across public cloud, private cloud, and on-prem systems based on their specific needs.

Hybrid cloud has emerged as the most prevalent outcome of cloud repatriation, blending flexibility with performance and control. This reflects a broader industry move toward cloud-fit decisions rather than cloud-first mandates.

Key statistics and trends

Prevalence of Repatriation

Studies report that 42% of organisations have repatriated workloads from public cloud – a significant portion of enterprises reassessing cloud ROI.

Over 70% of enterprises now run hybrid environments, blending cloud and on-premises infrastructure, with repatriation a key factor in that mix.

These figures show that cloud repatriation is not an isolated behaviour but part of a strategic shift in infrastructure planning.

Drivers for repatriation

The core drivers behind repatriation include:

Cost predictability: Many organisations find cloud bills grow faster than expected, especially for always-on and storage-intensive systems.
Performance: Latency-sensitive apps often run better on dedicated hardware.
Governance, security and compliance: Cloud isn’t always the best fit for regulated or highly sensitive workloads.

Cloud repatriation statistics confirm these drivers are widespread with many IT leaders stating that cloud alone doesn’t meet all their operational needs.

Types of Workloads Being Repatriated

Cloud repatriation statistics suggest certain workloads are commonly moved back:

Databases and large storage workloads tend to be repatriated due to cost and performance considerations.
Legacy enterprise systems with predictable consumption often make more financial sense on-premises.
Compliance-critical applications are frequently housed outside public cloud for stronger governance.

This pattern tells us that repatriation often targets specific workload types, not wholesale infrastructure.

The Emerging Mixed/Hybrid Model

Cloud repatriation statistics also highlight the rise of hybrid:

Hybrid cloud environments are now the default for many enterprises, as they combine public cloud agility with on-premises predictability.

The fact that 78% of organisations identify cloud fit challenges with specific services reinforces why hybrid models remain a popular outcome of repatriation thinking.

Rather than abandoning cloud, most organisations choose where to use it best.

Insights, Interpretation & Implications

At its heart, cloud repatriation reflects a more nuanced infrastructure strategy. Organisations are no longer chasing cloud adoption at all costs; they understand that: