Benchmark results by region
Safecall works with organisations operating across all continents, supporting speak‑up programmes in a wide range of legal, cultural and organisational contexts.
In 2025, we received reports from 123 countries, providing a genuinely global dataset.
Region is a key lens through which reporting behaviour varies, influencing how employees choose to speak up, which channels they use and whether they identify themselves. This section helps you explore those regional differences and understand what they mean for organisations operating across multiple geographies.
How to use this sector analysis
Use these insights to understand how reporting behaviour varies across geographies and what this may mean for organisations operating internationally:
- Compare reporting channels by region
See how employees in different regions use web, phone and email reporting, and how channel preferences vary geographically. - Understand regional issue patterns
Explore how the mix of concerns raised differs by region, and how this compares across your global footprint. - Interpret identity choices in context
Compare levels of anonymous, semi‑anonymous and named reporting by region to understand how identity preferences vary. - Support consistent programme design
Use regional comparisons to assess whether your reporting routes and communication approach are aligned across geographies.
These insights help you interpret your own data in regional context and identify where channel visibility, communication or programme design may need attention across different locations.
Region-driven reporting patterns
1. Reporting channel use by region
Web reporting dominates across all regions, accounting for 71% of submissions globally, but the balance between digital and phone reporting varies meaningfully by geography.
Phone use is highest in North America (39%), followed by South America (28%), Europe (23%) and Australia (23%), while Asia (15%) and Africa (10%) show lower reliance on phone‑based reporting. Email use remains limited overall (6% globally), though it is more prevalent in Africa (32%) and Asia (12%) than in other regions.
Channel mix by region
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| 32% | 12% | 9% | 4% | 4% | 4% | |
| Phone | 10% | 15% | 23% | 23% | 39% | 28% |
| Web | 58% | 73% | 68% | 73% | 57% | 68% |
2. Issue mix & risk profile by region
The mix of issues raised externally varies across regions, with differences in how reports are distributed between HR, dishonest behaviour, Health & Safety and general categories.
Across the dataset, HR issues account for the largest share of reports in every region, ranging from 50% in Europe to 76% in South America. Dishonest Behaviour represents a smaller but consistent proportion across regions (from 8% in South America to 18% in Africa), while Health & Safety concerns remain comparatively lower overall, peaking at 14% in Australia. General issues vary by region, ranging from 9% in North America to 22% in Asia.
At sub category level, regional variation is evident within each headline category. Within the dishonest behaviour category, integrity and fraud make up the largest shares across all regions, though their relative weighting differs. Theft features more prominently in some regions than others, while bribery and money laundering remain low across all regions.
Within Health & Safety, general safety dominates in every region, accounting for 71% to 100% of reports, while substance abuse appears more prominently in certain regions, including Australia (24%).
For HR issues, unfair treatment is the most prevalent sub classification across all regions (57% globally), followed by bullying (21%) and harassment (10%). While the balance between HR sub categories varies by region, the overall HR led profile remains consistent.
Reporting category by region
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| Dishonest behaviour | 18% | 15% | 16% | 15% | 8% | 11% |
| General | 19% | 22% | 15% | 21% | 9% | 10% |
| Health & safety | 1% | 5% | 2% | 14% | 9% | 3% |
| HR | 62% | 58% | 67% | 50% | 74% | 76% |
Reporting sub-category by region: dishonest behaviour
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| Bribery | 0% | 5% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 8% |
| Corruption | 7% | 16% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 12% |
| Fraud | 33% | 19% | 14% | 27% | 24% | 8% |
| Integrity | 55% | 44% | 57% | 53% | 66% | 72% |
| Money laundering | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Theft | 5% | 15% | 29% | 16% | 7% | 0% |
Reporting sub-category by region: general
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| Corporate governance | 10% | 9% | 0% | 5% | 3% | 0% |
| Data protection | 4% | 7% | 20% | 9% | 8% | 5% |
| Environmental | 0% | 0% | 0% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
| Failure to act on previous report | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 0% | 5% |
| Policy | 24% | 38% | 0% | 22% | 38% | 15% |
| Regulatory compliance | 7% | 15% | 0% | 7% | 13% | 5% |
| Reputation | 55% | 29% | 40% | 50% | 38% | 70% |
| Safeguarding | 0% | 2% | 40% | 4% | 0% | 0% |
Reporting sub-category by region: Health & Safety
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| General safety | 100% | 86% | 100% | 71% | 88% | 100% |
| Product contamination | 0% | 0% | 0% | 5% | 5% | 0% |
| Substance abuse | 0% | 14% | 0% | 24% | 7% | 0% |
Reporting sub-category by region: HR
| Africa | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America | |
| Bullying | 12% | 10% | 19% | 25% | 17% | 18% |
| Discrimination | 5% | 5% | 23% | 9% | 9% | 4% |
| Harassment | 11% | 21% | 12% | 7% | 15% | 17% |
| Modern slavery | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Racism | 1% | 1% | 0% | 3% | 1% | 0% |
| Unfair treatment | 70% | 62% | 42% | 55% | 56% | 60% |
| Victimisation | 1% | 1% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
3. Identity choices by region
Identity choices vary across regions, with differences in the balance between anonymous, semi‑anonymous and named reporting.
Across the dataset, anonymous reporting is the most common choice in every region, accounting for between 47% and 58% of submissions overall. Asia (58%) and Europe (57%) show the highest levels of anonymous reporting, while Africa (47%), Australia (48%) and North America (48%) sit at the lower end. Named reporting ranges from 24% in Asia and Africa to 30% in North America.
When viewed by reporting channel, clear differences emerge. Phone‑based reports are more likely to be named or semi‑anonymous, with 41% named globally, compared with 20% for web submissions.
This pattern is consistent across regions. For example, North America records 45% named phone reports, compared with 20% named web reports, while Europe shows 41% named via phone versus 20% via web. Semi‑anonymous reporting remains a smaller but stable share across regions and channels.
Identity choice by region: all channels
| Anonymous | Semi-anonymous | Named | |
| Africa | 47% | 29% | 24% |
| Asia | 58% | 17% | 25% |
| Australia | 48% | 25% | 27% |
| Europe | 57% | 18% | 25% |
| North America | 48% | 22% | 30% |
| South America | 55% | 17% | 28% |
Identity choice by region: phone
| Anonymous | Semi-anonymous | Named | |
| Africa | 40% | 4% | 56% |
| Asia | 58% | 10% | 32% |
| Australia | 40% | 10% | 50% |
| Europe | 49% | 10% | 41% |
| North America | 42% | 13% | 45% |
| South America | 56% | 13% | 31% |
Identity choice by region: web
| Anonymous | Semi-anonymous | Named | |
| Africa | 72% | 16% | 12% |
| Asia | 67% | 11% | 22% |
| Australia | 57% | 20% | 23% |
| Europe | 63% | 18% | 19% |
| North America | 56% | 24% | 20% |
| South America | 57% | 16% | 27% |
Elevate your speak-up culture
Whether you’re looking to strengthen governance, improve reporting confidence, or build a more transparent and responsive culture, our specialists can help you take your speak‑up programme to the next level.
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