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The State of Compliance in 2026

Based on insights from 1,000 compliance decision-makers across regulated industries.

Discover the trends shaping AML and compliance in 2026. Benchmark your organisation against 1,000 industry professionals, uncover emerging risks and gain practical insights to help you stay ahead. 

Inside the Report:

  • 95% of firms report at least one major compliance challenge
  • 87% would cut ties after a single compliance failure
  • 54% of organisations still rely on manual checks
  • 72% expect compliance complexity to increase

 ✔️ 1,000 respondents  ✔️ Exclusive SmartSearch research 

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Compare Your Sector

Explore exclusive survey data across Accounting, Financial Services, Legal and Property, and see how confidence and compliance maturity vary by sector. 

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  • Custom Risk Profile

    Accountancy

    Strong confidence, but opportunities remain to improve automation and efficiency. 
    Explore the Sector
  • Custom Risk Profile (1)

    Financial Services

    Leading the way in confidence and digital adoption, yet regulatory pressure continues to grow. 
    Explore the Sector
  • Custom Risk Profile (2)

    Legal

    High confidence levels, but firms still face increasing complexity and evolving obligations. 
    Explore the Sector
  • Custom Risk Profile (3)

    Property

    The sector shows the greatest opportunity to strengthen understanding and modernise compliance processes. 
    Explore the Sector

Watch the Webinar

Watch SmartSearch CEO Phil Cotter, Chief Customer Officer Collette Smith, and Sales Director Joe Morris as they discuss the key findings from our survey of 1,000 professionals across regulated sectors and what the latest compliance trends mean for businesses in 2026. 

Webinar Recording

Watch The Recording or Listen on Spotify

Go Deeper into the Research

Explore expert analysis, industry trends and practical guidance inspired by the findings of the SmartSearch Compliance Report 2026. 
  • SmartSearch Employees Working In A Meeting Room

    Are UK Businesses Ready for the Next Wave of AML Regulation?

    Discover the key regulatory challenges shaping 2026 and why organisations are rethinking their compliance strategies. 

    Read the Article
  • Typing On A Keyboard With Technology Graphic

    How AI Is Transforming Compliance Teams

    Explore how AI and automation are helping compliance teams reduce manual effort and prepare for future compliance challenges. 

    Read the Article
  • Working On Keyboard With Technology Visual

    How Much Time Are Firms Losing to Manual Compliance Processes?

    Discover where businesses are losing valuable time and how automation can reduce compliance workloads. 

    Read the Article
  • A Woman SmartSearch Employee working on a laptop in AML Meeting

    Which Sector Is Leading the Way in Compliance?

    Explore the latest AML trends and download the SmartSearch Compliance Report 2026.

    Read the Article

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Frequently Asked Questions

The report provides exclusive research, industry benchmarking and practical insights designed to help compliance professionals understand emerging trends, assess their current approach and prepare for future regulatory change. Whether you're looking to improve operational efficiency or benchmark your organisation against industry peers, the report offers valuable guidance backed by original research. 

Compliance teams are facing increasing regulatory expectations, more sophisticated financial crime, evolving customer due diligence requirements and growing pressure to improve operational efficiency. Our Compliance Report explores these challenges using insights from 1,000 compliance decision-makers across legal, property, financial services and accounting.

Benchmarking allows organisations to compare their approach to compliance against industry peers, helping identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for improvement. The SmartSearch Compliance Report includes exclusive benchmarking data across four regulated sectors, enabling organisations to understand how they compare.

AI is helping organisations automate repetitive compliance tasks, strengthen customer due diligence, improve monitoring and reduce manual workloads. Rather than replacing compliance professionals, AI enables teams to focus on higher-value activities while improving operational efficiency. The Compliance Report explores how businesses are adopting AI and automation across regulated industries.

The SmartSearch Compliance Report includes research from 1,000 compliance decision-makers across four regulated sectors:

  • Legal
  • Property
  • Financial Services
  • Accounting

The report examines industry trends, compliance challenges, technology adoption and benchmarking data to help organisations understand how their sector compares.

The SmartSearch Compliance Report is based on independent research conducted with 1,000 compliance decision-makers across the legal, property, financial services and accounting sectors. The report combines industry benchmarking, compliance trends and expert analysis to provide a comprehensive view of the challenges and opportunities shaping compliance in 2026.