The AXA Future Risks Report 2025

The 2025 AXA Future Risks Report reveals that the UK population is becoming increasingly concerned about the impact and frequency of crises
Geopolitical instability has become the top perceived risk for UK insurance industry experts, with the majority believeing tensions could lead to a global war
Experts and the general public agree that preventative action is key to mitigating risks

The potential for global war and the continued impact of climate change are among the top concerns highlighted in the 2025 AXA Future Risks Report - a worldwide survey that explores the perceptions of insurance industry experts and the general public on the most pressing threats.

The report, now in its 12th year, surveyed 3,595 insurance experts and 23,000 members of the public across 57 countries.

In the UK, while climate change remains the number one concern for the public for the fourth consecutive year, geopolitical instability becomes the top risk for experts. 98% believe there is a risk that unrest could spread across the globe and become more persistent in the future, with 94% thinking tensions could lead to a global war.

Risks associated with technology continue to be of concern, with cyber security ranking second for both experts and the public. In addition, 57% of UK experts (vs. 44% in 2024) and 54% of the general population (vs. 41% in 2024) are concerned about risks related to the ethical use of technology.

There is strong agreement across both groups in the UK on the growing impact and frequency of crises, with 96% of experts and 94% of the general public admitting that crises have a deeper impact on people’s lives and 96% of experts and 93% of the public observing an increase in the number of crises happening in recent years.

For the first time, questions were asked about societal fragmentation, with results indicating that both experts and the public believe societies are losing the common values that once held them together. Both globally and in the UK, growing economic and social inequalities were highlighted as a key reason for this fragmentation.

Despite the challenges, when asked about prevention, UK experts (89%) and the general public (87%) agree that the risks they’re most worried about can be mitigated through preventative action. They also highlight that insurers have a huge impact, with 87% of UK experts and 72% of the general population believing that insurers can play a significant role in protecting society against emerging risks.

It’s no surprise that this year’s findings show risks are rising and increasingly linked, alongside growing concern about geopolitical instability and a sense that society is becoming more divided.

While the report paints a picture of global uncertainty, there are green shoots of optimism. Insurers are increasingly recognised for the role they play in protecting society and, for AXA, this reinforces our commitment to tackling these challenges and helping customers build resilience through the solutions and expertise we provide.

Tara Foley, CEO at AXA UK & Ireland

The 2025 edition features a digital risk radar that allows the public to filter the raw data based on factors such as year and region: Future Risks Report | AXA.

AXA UK Future Risks Report 2025 - stats in brief

251 experts and 1000 general population members were from the UK.

UK experts top 10 future risks

Geopolitical instability
Cyber security risks
Climate change
Social tensions and movements
Risk related to AI and big data
Macro-economic risks
Energy risks
New security threats and terrorism
Financial stability risks
Natural resources and biodiversity risks

UK general population top 10 future risks

Climate change
Cyber security risks
New security threats and terrorism
Social tensions and movements
Geopolitical instability
Energy risks
Risks related to AI and big data
Pandemics and infectious diseases
Financial stability risks
Natural resources and biodiversity risks

Media contacts

Legal notes

About AXA UK

AXA Insurance UK plc registered in England and Wales under registered number 078950 and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority under Financial Conduct Authority registration number 202312. Registered office is 20 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0BG.

AXA UK is part of the AXA Group, a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 147,000 employees serving 94 million clients in 50 countries. In 2023, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 102.7 billion and underlying earnings to Euro 7.6 billion. AXA had Euro 844 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023.

In the UK & Ireland, AXA operates through a number of business units including: AXA Insurance, AXA Health and AXA Ireland. AXA UK & Ireland employs around 10,000 staff.

Important legal information and cautionary statements concerning forward-looking statements

Certain statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans, expectations or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause AXA’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward looking statements. Please refer to Part 5: “Risk Factors and Risk Management” of AXA’s Universal Registration Document 2022, for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect AXA’s business and / or results of operations. AXA undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws and regulations.

The AXA Future Risks Report 2025: UK findings reveal societal fragmentation and concerns of a global war