SINGAPORE, March 3, 2025 — A quarter (26%) of all incidents reported by clients last year to Alert:24, the in-house risk advisory and crisis support service provided by Willis, a WTW business (NASDAQ: WTW), were related to threats against individuals or client assets. Closely following, at 21% each, were emergency political repatriations of employees or family members and kidnaps for ransom, according to its latest Crisis Management Annual Review.
In a record year for elections in 2024, incumbents in many of the world's leading democracies faced significant declines in vote share, with nearly 80% losing ground compared to previous elections. The trend was driven by poor economic performance, with high inflation being a major concern for voters. While some incumbents formed minority coalitions to stay in power, many were ousted. The year saw significant protests and political turmoil in both free and authoritarian countries.
Looking ahead to 2025, rising populism, divisive rhetoric, and socio-economic tensions will drive continued violence regionally, but the security agenda will remain dominated by terrorism threats and geopolitical challenges.
In Asia Pacific (APAC), risks such as active assailant, civil unrest and crime will continue to manifest to varying degrees throughout the region. Over the past year, threat of active assailant incidents has come to the fore, even in secure states like China and Australia and will remain a trend to watch. Many of these incidents are linked to socioeconomic conditions or poor mental health. Whilst it remains difficult to accurately predict the frequency and locations of active assailant events, it is highly likely that numerous instances of these will continue to occur this year.
China, with its large population, growing age imbalance, and growing sense of alienation among significant facets of the population, due to the country’s rapid social and economic change over the past 40 years, is likely to sustain a sizeable number of the regional total events. Other higher risk countries including Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and Australia.
Key risks and developments in APAC include:
Single attacker incidents on the rise: China experienced a notable surge in mass casualty attacks in 2024. All the attacks were carried out by individuals acting alone, with no known links to militant groups, and were reported as having been driven by personal grievances or frustrations. Economic factors, including high youth unemployment, significant debt, and a real estate crisis, are thought to be contributing to the rise in violence, as they have become a major source of stress for many individuals, particularly among the younger population.
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.
Kidnap for ransom: In the final quarter of 2024, the APAC region saw the third-highest number of reported kidnap for ransom cases in the world, narrowly surpassing the Middle East and North Africa. Although local nationals made up nearly three quarters of the victims, there is a concerning trend in which foreigners are being increasingly targeted, such as in Thailand.
Maritime criminality hotspot: According to data by the International Maritime Bureau, the region experienced 74 instances of piracy and maritime criminality in 2024, making APAC the primary global piracy hotspot. Although the frequency of incidents reported across the region has been stable since 2022, a notable increase in incidents was witnessed in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in Q4-2024, offsetting reductions in pirate activities in other areas, such as Bangladesh or Indonesia over the course of the last 12 months.
