- Why compliance matters
- A living risk landscape
Why compliance matters
Regulation underpins the stability and proper functioning of markets and industries while protecting stakeholders at all levels, including customers, employees, investors, and suppliers.
Meeting regulatory requirements is the baseline for building trust and operating effectively in a global market that demands transparency and high standards. Strong compliance systems also enhance organisational agility, enabling companies to seize opportunities and respond to change more effectively.
A living risk landscape
In today’s world, regulation touches nearly every aspect of a business, from products and services to governance, reporting, sustainability, IT systems, workforce, and trade. New requirements are emerging at an accelerating pace, creating a dynamic, interconnected risk environment that spans organisations, value chains, and industries.
The PwC Global Compliance Survey 2025 highlights that technology-related risks, particularly cybersecurity and data privacy, are the top priorities for more than half of respondents. Corporate governance (40%), anti-bribery/anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and fraud (38%) also rank highly, reflecting growing regulatory scrutiny, heightened accountability for boards and executives, and broader economic pressures. Nearly 90% of respondents indicated that the range of their compliance responsibilities has expanded over the past three years.
Industries evolving
Key priorities - by sector
Q: Which of the following areas of compliance have been identified as key priorities for your organisation?
Base: All Respondents (1,802).
Breaking down the data by sector, cybersecurity and data privacy emerge as the top compliance priorities across most industries. Energy, Utilities, and Resources (EUR) companies, however, prioritise environmental and sustainability compliance, reflecting both the complexity of sector-specific regulations and their role in supporting the broader energy transition.
The PwC 28th Global CEO Survey found that nearly 40% of CEOs reported entering new sectors over the past five years. As industries evolve, new business models, products, and services are emerging, creating converging ecosystems and requiring more integrated thinking. Examples include fintech expansion in consumer markets, new power infrastructure for electric vehicles, digital healthcare delivery, and AI in product design and manufacturing.
These changes are pushing companies to navigate unfamiliar or developing regulatory areas, including AI, while adapting compliance strategies and building capabilities that address interconnected risks across the organisation. Compliance and risk teams increasingly bring capabilities together under one framework instead of tackling risks in isolation.
The PwC Global Compliance Survey 2025 shows that AI currently ranks among the top three compliance priorities only for the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications (TMT) sector, reflecting its central role in driving AI innovation. However, AI-related risks are expected to rise rapidly across other industries. Companies are already adopting AI usage policies and implementing responsible AI frameworks to manage risk while accelerating adoption.
Conclusion
As the compliance landscape continues to evolve, organisations that take a forward-looking and integrated approach will be best placed to manage risk and capture opportunity. The actions below outline practical steps to strengthen compliance resilience and agility.
While these actions help organisations strengthen compliance resilience and agility, companies are increasingly confronting the commercial challenges arising from rising regulatory complexity.
The next article on the series on the PwC Global Compliance Survey 2025, will explore how increasing regulatory demands are impacting technology adoption, transformation initiatives, leadership focus, and overall business agility.
Contact us
