Risk management benchmarks – the latest data and analysis
Risk management
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 report – tracking op risk
Benchmarks include new data on op risk prevalence, drivers and monitoring tools
The Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 report digs further into how operational risk is managed at central banks. Overall, staff error is the most common cause of op risk incidents, mentioned by over 80% of respondents. But ageing IT systems are also causing serious issues in many jurisdictions. Cyber risk remains a top focus and central banks are taking many steps to mitigate the threat.
Charts
Op risk drivers
Overall, staff errors are the most widespread cause of operational risks. But filtering the data reveals other patterns. Notably, central banks that are seeing higher than average numbers of incidents (>100 in the past year) are most likely to report that IT issues due to legacy systems are the chief driver of op risk. This group is also more likely to face challenges due to physical security.
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Data breakdowns shed light on op risk drivers and incidents, AI use and department structures
Risk management data
View the full breakdown of responses to the Risk management Benchmarks.
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 – model banks analysis
Data breakdowns shed light on op risk drivers and incidents, AI use and department structures
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 – executive summary
Benchmarks include new data on op risk, as well as the risk outlook, monitoring tools and more
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 report – tracking op risk
Benchmarks include new data on op risk prevalence, drivers and monitoring tools
Vast majority of central banks taking action on climate risk
Nearly one in five banks reflect climate risk in reserves management and collateral eligibility
Risk management reviews are most common assessment method
Centralised teams are less likely to conduct external or management evaluations
Risk managers report increase in geopolitical and AI risks
But cyber incidents and security remain greatest risks for many central banks
UK’s Orange Book risk approach rarely used by central banks
Only three centralised risk management departments utilise principle
Risk Management Benchmarks 2026 Charts
Take a deep dive into the Risk Management Benchmarks charts, which have just been released for 2026.
Privacy and security seen as top AI risk
Most risk managers more relaxed about potential financial losses caused by AI
Benchmarks data reveals AI use gap in risk management
Central banks from the Americas are most concerned about deepfakes, data shows
Staff error is largest cause of op risk at central banks
Legacy systems tend to trigger most threats in jurisdictions with greater than average number of incidents
Op risk incidents average over 100 a year among central banks
Financial impact is risk managers’ strongest metric for gauging incidents’ severity