International SOS has released its 2025 Risk Outlook report, revealing essential insights into the mounting challenges for organisational and workforce resilience, alongside risk predictions for 2025.
The research uncovers a fragmenting world, with 65% of the surveyed senior risk professionals perceiving that risks have increased over the past year and 69% think it is likely geopolitical tensions will have a significant impact on their business and/or people in 2025. Three quarters of the primary decision-makers surveyed see social and political unrest as a top risk. This comes as 78% think it is likely burnout and stress will have a significant impact on their business and/or people in the coming year.
Even in the ongoing permacrisis environment, the new research highlights that some of the most significant risks are those for which respondents said they were least prepared, including conflict, geopolitical tensions, and protests.
Sally Llewellyn, Global Security Director at International SOS, explained: "The interconnected nature of today’s risks are creating an environment where issues escalate quickly and unpredictably. Geopolitical tensions are triggering supply chain disruptions and cyberthreats, while misinformation and disinformation amplify confusion, eroding trust within organisations and across borders. These complexities demand a shift from reactive to predictive strategies, leveraging intelligence-driven insights and cross-functional collaboration.
"While the challenges are significant, organisations that take a systematic approach to understanding and mitigating these layered risks can not only protect their people and operations but also strengthen their resilience in an era of uncertainty."
Geopolitical instability ranked as a top concern for organisations heading into 2025, underscoring the fragility of a deeply interconnected global landscape, International SOS said. Businesses are now contending with an environment where conflicts are not confined to political borders but reverberate across industries, economies, and supply chains.
Report highlights include:
- Three quarters of respondents who are primary decision makers think political and social unrest and protests are likely to have a significant impact on their business and/or people in the next 12 months.
- Nearly three quarters (74%) of surveyed primary decision makers also express the belief that geopolitical tensions are likely to have a significant impact on their business and/or people in the coming year.
- Seven in 10 (73%) of surveyed primary decision makers highlight their belief that transport risks and disruptions are likely to have a significant impact on their businesses and/or people in the next year. The risks are manifesting in varied and often overlapping ways. In the Middle East, the ongoing crises are intensifying polarisation, for example.
The increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape is taking a profound toll on mental health with 65% of participants predicting that political stress and anxiety will have a significant impact on their business and/or people in 2025. These pressures are compounded by broader wellness risks that the following percentage of surveyed experts predict are likely to have a significant impact on their business and/or people over the next 12 months:
- Stress and burnout: 78%
- Impact of the cost-of-living crisis: 75%
- Mental health conditions: 70%
- Quiet quitting: 52%
- Climate change anxiety: 45%
Dr Irene Lai, Global Medical Director at International SOS, said: "The seemingly unstable, unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of global events, coupled with the cost-of-living crisis, are major factors contributing to employee stress and burnout. Businesses that proactively invest in employee wellbeing are building operational resilience. Creating a healthy workplace includes protecting and promoting mental health, which will not only help employees weather these stresses but also drive higher engagement, productivity, and retention – essential for navigating a rapidly changing world."
Despite the many complexities and challenges organisations face today, there are clear pathways to building resilience, International SOS said. According to the report, resilient organisations share three key characteristics:
Access to actionable intelligence
Decision-makers need timely, relevant, and verified information tailored to their organisation's specific risks. This is critical in addressing misinformation and disinformation; 27% of participants reported that their organisation has been impacted by misinformation, with a further 32% reporting being unsure if misinformation has impacted their organisation – a potential blind spot.
Integrated risk management platforms
Unified risk management systems streamline processes and enhance the productivity of risk managers. These platforms also enable seamless communication across teams, which can help leaders support their employees in when dealing with the impacts of risks such as extreme weather (nearly half, or 49% of experts believe that the health impacts of natural disasters and extreme weather events will have a significant impact in 2025). By providing a single platform of reliable information, organisations can respond swiftly to both anticipated and unforeseen risks.
Optimised resource allocation
Consolidating resources allows organisations to prioritise high-risk areas without overextending. For example, 64% of respondents highlight increasing employee expectations about duty of care. This finding makes it essential to embed proactive health, safety, and security measures into operations, International SOS said, to address current and emerging risks.
