According to Willis's annual crisis management review, threats against individuals or client assets accounted for 26% of all incidents reported by clients last year.
Emergency political repatriations of employees or family members and kidnappings for ransom followed closely, each making up 21% of reported cases.
In the APAC region, risks such as active assailant incidents, civil unrest and crime will continue to emerge at varying levels across different countries. Over the past year, the threat of active assailant events has gained prominence, even in traditionally secure nations like China and Australia, making it a key trend to monitor, Willis said in a press release statement.
Many of these incidents are driven by socioeconomic challenges and mental health issues.
While predicting the frequency and location of such events remain difficult, they are expected to persist throughout the year.
Willis noted that China, with its vast population, shifting demographics and growing sense of alienation among certain groups due to rapid social and economic changes over the past four decades, is likely to account for a significant share of these incidents in the region.
Other high-risk countries include Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, and Australia.
“We continue to see clients impacted by a wide range of incident types across a broad geographical footprint, affecting both their people and physical assets. Although the increase in the number of incidents reported by our clients in APAC last year was gradual (from 6% in 2023 to 9% in 2024), the region will continue to present a complex and multifaceted threat environment,” Willis head of crisis management Asia Pacific Will Miller said.
Willis reported crucial risks and developments in APAC include:
- Single attacker incidents on the rise: China saw a significant rise in mass casualty attacks in 2024, all of which were carried out by lone individuals with no known ties to militant groups. These incidents were largely attributed to personal grievances and frustrations.
Economic pressures—such as high youth unemployment, mounting debt and an ongoing real estate crisis—are believed to be key factors driving the surge in violence, particularly among the younger population, for whom these challenges have become a major source of stress.
Australia also witnessed a series of incidents last year, reflecting an increased trend of lone-actor attacks and use of mass public violence as an outlet for personal grievance, Willis reported.
- Kidnap for ransom: In the last quarter of 2024, the APAC region recorded the third-highest number of reported kidnap-for-ransom cases globally, slightly exceeding figures from the Middle East and North Africa. While local nationals accounted for nearly three-quarters of the victims, a growing trend of foreigners being targeted—particularly in countries like Thailand—has raised concerns.
- Maritime criminality hotspot: According to data from the International Maritime Bureau, the APAC region recorded 74 incidents of piracy and maritime crime in 2024, making it the world's leading piracy hotspot. While the overall number of incidents has remained steady since 2022, a sharp rise in piracy was observed in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in Q42024. This uptick offset declines in pirate activity in other areas, such as Bangladesh and Indonesia, over the past year.
“Looking ahead, political instability and the consequences of it are likely to continue and those clients that accurately assess, manage and then act on it are likely to navigate the volatile risk environment more effectively. Combining relevant insight and research, risk identification and quantification analytics, as well as proactive crisis management is crucial for companies looking to ensure stability and resilience and the key to navigating these challenging times effectively,” Mr Miller said.