2025 risk trends

2025 has been a year of change in the risk landscape. Regulation has rolled back in many regions as economic uncertainty has advanced. In this competitive environment, risk monitoring has become a strategic tool – what was once a matter of compliance or investor preference can now make the difference between competitive advantage and disastrous business losses. 

Find out which risk category trumped all others in 2025, and what should be on your 2026 risk radar. 

# 1. Misleading communications 

Companies linked to misleading communications risk saw five times more overall risk in 2025¹. 

RepRisk data shows misleading communications risk incidents can be seen as a bellwether: companies flagged for this risk were linked with nearly five times more risk incidents of other kinds in 2025. This association has increased in strength since 2024, when misleading communications risk was linked to three times more risk incidents overall. 

Banking and Financial Services faced high levels of misleading communications risk in 2025, compounded by indirect exposure as a result of client and investment activity.  

Attracting 10% of the 7,608 risk incidents RepRisk recorded over the year for this category, Banking and Financial Services misleading communications risk is persistent, almost unchanged year on year. The sector ranks second only to Retail in 2025, which was linked to 14% of misleading communications risk incidents.  

Meanwhile, the Food and Beverage sector saw a 2% reduction in its share of misleading communications risk incidents, down from 12% in 2024 to 10% in 2025.

# Misleading communications by sector

Fig 1. Share of misleading communications incidents across the three highest-risk sectors

# 2. Biodiversity

No longer just a “nice to have”, biodiversity risk mitigation is fast becoming a pivotal factor in infrastructure development around the globe. 

The United States topped the leaderboard for biodiversity risk incidents in 2025, with 11% in the fiscal year to end June. The US share has risen to 15% of all global biodiversity risk incidents in the year to end November 2025.

France has seen a 3% reduction in biodiversity risk incidents in the year to end November 2025, improving its risk profile since the end of the fiscal year to end June, when it ranked fifth highest in the world for biodiversity risk.

# Biodiversity risk incidents by country

Fig 2. Top ten countries for biodiversity and greenwashing risk incidents, year to end June 2025

# 3. Corruption 

RepRisk recorded a total of 60,125 governance risk incidents in 2025, putting the issue firmly on the agenda for businesses in 2026. 

Fraud risk remains one of the most prevalent and persistent factors, responsible for 10,663 governance risk incidents in 2025.  

Corruption, bribery, extortion, and money laundering incidents totaled 5,063 in 2025, pushing the share of companies associated with this risk category up by 2% year on year. 

# 4. Supply chain

Negligence risk incidents in supply chains placed China, with 28% of all incidents, and Italy, with 23%, in the high-risk zone in 2025. 

But in fact, this represents a year-on-year improvement: China has seen an 8% reduction in supply chain related negligence risk, and Italy’s share of reported risk incidents has fallen by 6%. 

In the US, which saw 2,469 supply chain risk incidents in the past five years, supply chain related negligence risk shows little sign of falling, with a reduction of less than 0.5% year on year. 

# Large economies face a high number of supply chain risk incidents at home

Fig 3. Supply chain risk by incident location across the globe, 2021-2025 (years to end June)

# 5. Human rights

Despite a growing trend towards deregulation, and global economic pressures, risks associated with human rights abuses have not increased dramatically during 2025. 

The US saw steady levels of human rights and corporate complicity risk in 2025, with a 1.1% increase in incidents. Israel comes in #2 with a near 0.5% increase, while risk also grew marginally in India, France, Singapore, and South Africa. 

Japan, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK all achieved small reductions in human rights and corporate complicity risk in 2025. 

Human rights and corporate complicity risk incidents fell overall by 0.3% in 2025. Related risk issues with high levels of overall incidents, such as occupational health and safety, saw small decreases in 2025. 

# Human rights abuses and corporate complicity

Fig 4. Year-on-year change in human rights abuse and corporate complicity risk by company headquarters (2025 vs. 2024)

# Trends for 2026

As companies adopt AI for innovation and efficiency, they face growing scrutiny of the way they communicate its impacts on people and resources. RepRisk’s new AI Topic Tag has already revealed a strong link between AI-related risk incidents and misleading statements, underscoring the need for transparent communication in the year ahead. 2025’s bellwether, misleading communications risk, looks likely to remain a key focus for businesses in 2026. 

# AI risk and misleading communications

Fig 5. Total number of incidents linking AI-related risks and misleading communications (2020–2025)

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