Gitnux/Report 2026

Due Diligence Industry Statistics

Cyber and compliance checks are scaling fast, with AML screenings reaching 1.2 billion globally and AI driven due diligence tools adopted by 40% of firms. See how cultural, ESG, and data access failures still derail outcomes, even as due diligence packages and outsourcing markets expand to USD 28.5 billion by 2030.
231Statistics
71Sources
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November 11, 2026Updated
Due Diligence Industry Statistics
Helena KowalczykWritten by Helena Kowalczyk·Edited by Elif Demirci·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The due diligence industry at a glance

The global due diligence services market generated $10.1 billion in adviser fees in 2025 and is expanding as M&A, regulatory scrutiny, ESG obligations and technology increase demand for independent risk reviews.

$10.1B[14]
Global fees, 2025
6.9%[14]
Forecast CAGR, 2025–2034
42.7%[57]
North America share, 2024
46%[58]
Disputes citing diligence, 2025
Market size
Global due diligence services adviser fees reached $10.1 billion in 2025. The measure covers third-party financial, tax, legal, commercial, operational, IT, ESG and integrity reviews for transactions, investments, financings and non-deal assignments, while excluding statutory audit, lead M&A advisory, in-house teams, integration consulting and standalone data-room software.[14]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is forecast to reach $18.41 billion by 2034, implying a 6.9% CAGR from 2025. A separate due diligence investigation estimate puts the market at $8.82 billion in 2026 and $11.83 billion in 2030, with a 7.6% 2026–2030 CAGR.[14][59]
Market share & regions
North America accounted for 42.7% of the global due diligence services market in 2024, followed by Europe at 27.7% and Asia Pacific at 21.0%. Asia Pacific was identified as the fastest-growing major region, with a forecast CAGR of 8.9% through 2032.[57]
Segmentation
Financial due diligence was the largest workstream, representing 30.0% of global adviser fees in 2025, while IT due diligence was the fastest-growing workstream at 9.2% annually. By buyer group, private equity and other investors were forecast to be the fastest-growing segment, at 7.9% annually.[14]
Trends, drivers & challenges
The main growth drivers identified for 2026–2030 are greater M&A activity, regulatory scrutiny, complex corporate structures, private-equity investment, real-time risk intelligence, advanced analytics, digital platforms and ESG investigations. Reported trends include AI-assisted risk assessment, cyber and data-privacy reviews, cross-border diligence and integrated financial-legal platforms.[59]
Consumer behavior & competition
Demand is concentrated among transaction advisers, private-equity firms, corporates, financial institutions and other investors rather than household consumers. In Dykema's 2025 survey of 216 U.S. dealmakers, 76% expected due diligence to remain a top priority, 83% expected private equity to boost deal volume, and nearly half expected AI to improve risk analysis, valuation or target screening.[4]
M&A
Global M&A deal value reached $4.5 trillion in 2025, nearly 50% above 2024, according to BRG. Technology led sector activity at $842 billion, or approximately 18% of global M&A volume, while 46% of respondents said due-diligence issues were the most prevalent deal-term or contractual/process factor in 2025 disputes.[58][60]
Regulation
The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive entered into force on 25 July 2024 and was amended in 2026. Under the amended timetable, Member States must adopt national transposition measures by 26 July 2028, with the main due-diligence rules applying from 26 July 2029 and certain reporting measures applying to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2030.[61][62]
Latest news
The European Commission reports that Directive (EU) 2026/470 entered into force on 18 March 2026 and introduced substantive sustainability-reporting and due-diligence amendments. The Commission also expects its main guidance on the amended framework by 26 July 2027, increasing the near-term need for implementation and compliance reviews.[61]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Due Diligence Industry

The leading companies in the due diligence industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

EY leads Gitnux's 2026 due diligence ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with financial, tax, commercial, operational, technology, cyber and sustainability due diligence. PwC is the runner-up at 8.9, with financial due diligence focused on earnings quality, working capital, cash flow and deal risks.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in transaction diligence

    EY

    GB

    Ranked #1 · 9.0 · Transaction diligence

    Why we picked it: Their transaction due diligence spans financial, technology and cyber, plus sustainability, aligning workstreams for independent risk reviews.

    See in ranking ↓Visit ey.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    PwC

    GB

    Ranked #2 · 8.9 · Transaction diligence

    Why we picked it: Their deals diligence emphasizes earnings quality and cash flow drivers, which link directly to deal risk evidence needs.

    See in ranking ↓Visit pwc.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Deloitte

    GB

    Ranked #3 · 8.9 · Transaction diligence

    Why we picked it: Their portfolio covers technology and integrity alongside financial and operational diligence for transaction work.

    See in ranking ↓Visit deloitte.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the due diligence industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

EY

Transaction diligence · GB

9.0
2

PwC

Transaction diligence · GB

8.9
3

Deloitte

Transaction diligence · GB

8.9
4

Alvarez & Marsal

Transaction diligence · US

8.8
5

KPMG

Transaction diligence · GB

8.7
6

Grant Thornton

Transaction advisory and financial due diligence · GB

8.0
7

BDO

Transaction advisory and financial due diligence · BE

7.8
8

RSM

Financial and commercial transaction due diligence · GB

7.8
9

S-RM

Intelligence, investigations and due diligence · GB

7.8
10

Control Risks

Strategic intelligence and investigative due diligence · GB

7.6

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the due diligence industry. In Due Diligence Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/due-diligence-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AI use in due diligence is already widespread: 53% of dealmakers use AI for cybersecurity diligence in a global January 2026 survey.

AI in the due diligence industry

  • 53% of dealmakers use AI for cybersecurity diligence in a global January 2026 survey.[1]
  • 71% of compliance professionals believe AI will have a net positive overall impact on compliance, including customer due diligence, in PwC’s 2025 study.[2]
  • 42% of KYC enhanced-due-diligence professionals believe the process should be fully or mostly AI-automated, based on research conducted in late 2024.[3]
  • 63% of M&A professionals said due diligence is where AI will create the greatest value in the M&A process in 2026.[4]
  • 84% of dealmakers use AI in early-stage or outside-in due diligence, while 7% plan to do so, according to a January 2026 global survey.[1]
  • 61% of dealmakers use AI for document review during due diligence in a global January 2026 survey.[1]

Automation in the due diligence industry

  • 45% of firms that automate operational due diligence use AI for questionnaire generation and risk flagging in 2026.[5]
  • 49% of companies use technology for 11 or more compliance activities, including customer due diligence, in PwC’s 2025 global study.[2]
  • 78% of firms that automate operational due diligence use AI for data extraction in 2026.[5]
  • 45% of firms with more than $10 billion in assets under management automate operational due diligence, compared with 22% of $1–10 billion firms and 8% of firms below $1 billion, in 2026.[5]
  • 75% of companies use technology for customer due-diligence or assessment activities, according to PwC’s 2025 global compliance study.[2]
  • 50% of alternative-asset allocators with more than $1 billion in assets are expected to implement some form of DDQ automation by the end of 2026.[5]

Digital Transformation in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 40.4% of EU enterprises in professional, scientific and technical activities used at least one AI technology in 2025.[6]
  • 35.51% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to business-administration or management processes in 2025.[6]
  • 51% of U.S. technology executives reported no increase in performance or profitability from digital-transformation investments during the previous two years.[7]
  • 55% of business-services CEOs identified keeping pace with technology and AI transformation as their greatest concern in PwC’s 2025 global CEO survey.[2]

Technology Adoption in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 30.87% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to accounting, controlling or finance management in 2025.[6]
  • 18.55% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to ICT security in 2025.[6]
  • 22.32% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to research and development or innovation activities in 2025.[6]
  • 27.33% of EU professional, scientific and technical enterprises using AI applied it to production processes in 2025.[6]

Cloud Computing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 77.7% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]
  • 90.7% of Australian professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2022.[8]
  • 80.4% of Danish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]
  • 91.2% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used cloud computing services in 2023.[8]

Big Data in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 57.5% of Dutch professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 46.8% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 45.4% of Finnish professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]
  • 47.5% of German professional, scientific and technical enterprises conducted big-data analysis in 2023.[8]

IoT in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 52.0% of South Korean professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2022.[8]
  • 35.6% of Swedish professional, scientific and technical enterprises used Internet-of-Things technologies in 2021.[8]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Compliance data use extends beyond identity workflows: 22% of UK digital identity providers reported customer due diligence as a use case in 2026.

Business intelligence in the due diligence industry

  • 8% of UK digital identity providers reported transaction monitoring as a use case in 2026.[9]
  • 50% of UK digital identity providers reported fraud prevention in online transactions as a use case in 2026.[9]
  • 39% of UK digital identity providers offered analytics and insights products or services in 2026.[9]
  • 22% of UK digital identity providers reported customer due diligence as a use case in 2026.[9]
  • 53% of UK digital identity providers reported KYC or AML compliance as a use case in 2026.[9]
  • 43% of UK digital identity providers offered secure-access-management solutions in 2026.[9]

Data analytics in the due diligence industry

  • 40% of UK digital identity providers offered financial or address verification products in 2026.[9]
  • 23% of PwC global compliance survey respondents did not use data and predictive analytics but planned to invest in 2025.[2]
  • 44% of UK digital identity providers offered background-screening products in 2026.[9]
  • 39% of UK digital identity providers offered analytics and insights products in 2026.[9]
  • 14% of PwC global compliance survey respondents neither used nor planned to invest in data and predictive analytics in 2025.[2]
  • 39% of UK digital identity providers offered identity data, brokerage or analytics products in 2026.[9]

Data Quality in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 87% of enterprise data leaders said traditional rules-based approaches to data quality did not scale to current needs in 2024.[10]
  • 23% of supply management firms spent at least 21% of their time cleaning data in 2024.[11]
  • 49% of supply management organizations reported that their data quality was good or excellent in 2024, based on a survey of more than 121 respondents.[11]
  • 50% of organizations identified data-quality issues as the biggest challenge affecting their data-integration projects in 2024.[12]
  • 95% of enterprise companies with at least $1 billion in revenue had experienced a data-quality issue directly affecting business outcomes in 2024.[10]
  • 67% of supply management organizations said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[11]

Data Governance in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of organizations had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, according to a survey of more than 121 supply management professionals.[11]
  • 33% of North American organizations had a formal data-governance organization in place in 2024.[13]
  • 18.3% of organizations used a data-governance or catalog solution as part of their governance program in 2024.[13]
  • 71% of global organizations reported having a data-governance program in 2024, up from 60% in 2023.[12]
  • 32% of organizations in the 2024 governance study had a formal governance organization in place, while 68% had none.[13]
  • 81% of supply management organizations found their data-governance program useful in 2024.[11]

KPIs in the due diligence industry

  • 74% of PwC global compliance survey respondents used technology for fraud detection in 2025.[2]
  • 8% of UK digital identity providers reported transaction monitoring as a product or service use case in 2026.[9]
  • 82% of PwC global compliance survey respondents planned to invest more in at least one technology to automate or optimize compliance activities in 2025.[2]
  • 75% of UK digital identity providers reported KYC or AML compliance as a product or service category in 2026.[9]
  • 76% of PwC global compliance survey respondents used technology for risk assessment in 2025.[2]
  • 70% of PwC global compliance survey respondents used technology for customer due diligence or assessments and planned additional investment in 2025.[2]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

The category keeps expanding in adviser-fee terms: the market is forecast to reach $18.41 billion by 2034 at a 6.9% CAGR from 2025.

Growth in the due diligence industry

  • The global due diligence services market is forecast to grow at a 6.9% CAGR from 2025 to 2034.[14]
  • Global anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer data and services spending is projected at $2.9 billion in 2025.[15]
  • Global anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer data and services spending increased 12.3% in 2025.[15]
  • The global due diligence services market generated an estimated $10.1 billion in adviser fees in 2025.[14]
  • The global due diligence services market is forecast to reach $18.41 billion in adviser fees by 2034.[14]

Differentiation in the due diligence industry

  • 23 vendors were categorized as virtual-data-room providers in the M&A software landscape in July 2026.[16]
  • 13 vendors were categorized as research-and-sourcing providers in the M&A software landscape in July 2026.[16]
  • 62 vendors were mapped across 72 listings in the M&A software landscape in July 2026.[16]
  • Nine recognizable categories were identified in the M&A software market landscape in July 2026.[16]
  • Six vendors were categorized specifically as due-diligence software providers in the M&A software landscape in July 2026.[16]

Mergers and acquisitions in the due diligence industry

  • EQT agreed to acquire Avetta, a supplier-management and risk platform, in April 2024.[17]
  • Muinmos acquired an equity stake in Africa Due Diligence as part of a strategic partnership in March 2025.[18]
  • Inflexion acquired Marlowe’s governance, risk and compliance software and services assets following buy-side commercial due diligence in February 2024.[19]

Strategic partnerships in the due diligence industry

  • Muinmos partnered with Africa Due Diligence to expand onboarding technology and KYC capabilities in Africa in March 2025.[18]
  • Diligent and PwC UK announced a strategic collaboration supporting multinational clients in the United States and United Kingdom in July 2024.[20]
  • Grasshopper Bank partnered with Greenlite to use AI-enhanced due diligence for small-business and startup clients in February 2024.[21]
  • BearingPoint supported Siemens through a long-standing partnership focused on software technology due diligence for M&A in March 2024.[22]
  • DiligenceVault and Bipsync formed a strategic partnership to integrate due-diligence and research-management workflows in February 2025.[23]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Hybrid and remote work remain material for staffing models: 37.21% is the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.

Remote Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 54% of U.S. professional-services firms reported having at least one paid work-from-home employee in November 2024–January 2025.[24]
  • About 45% of U.S. professional and business-services workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[25]
  • 62.8% of U.S. professional and business-services employees who could work at home did so during 2024–2025, while 66.0% could work at home.[26]
  • 37.21% was the average share of paid workdays performed from home by U.S. professional and business-services employees in January 2025.[27]

Hybrid Work in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 27% of U.S. full-time employees worked in a hybrid arrangement in 2025, compared with 12% fully remote and 61% fully on-site.[28]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 39% of full-time employees worked fully onsite during January–April 2025.[29]
  • 61% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs preferred hybrid work in November 2025, compared with 33% preferring fully remote work.[30]
  • 54% of U.S. employees with remote-capable jobs worked in a hybrid arrangement in November 2025.[30]
  • Across U.S. professional and business services, 22% of full-time employees worked fully from home during January–April 2025.[29]

Employee Engagement in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 33% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2023, while 16% were actively disengaged.[30]
  • 34% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2022, while 16% were actively disengaged.[30]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2024, while 17% were actively disengaged.[30]
  • 32% of U.S. employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 17% were actively disengaged.[30]

Change Management in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 16% of global business-services organizations managed change systemically across their initiatives in 2022.[31]
  • Approximately one-third of global business-services organizations had no change-management capability in 2022.[31]
  • 17% of transformation teams identified training and development programs as their primary change-management approach in 2024.[32]
  • 75% of global business-services organizations considered change management critical in 2022.[31]
  • 21% of transformation teams identified stakeholder-engagement strategies as their primary change-management approach in 2024.[32]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Onboarding friction shows up in lost revenue risk: 67% of global banks lost clients because of slow or inefficient client onboarding and KYC processes.

Customer experience in the due diligence industry

  • 67% of global banks lost clients because of slow or inefficient client onboarding and KYC processes.[33]
  • 87% of banks in Singapore reported losing clients because of slow and inefficient KYC onboarding.[33]
  • 26% of surveyed customers received a better-than-expected compliance experience during onboarding, according to research on KYC interactions.[34]

Customer retention in the due diligence industry

  • 48% of financial institutions had lost a client because of poor onboarding experiences in the 2023 Fenergo survey.[35]
  • 18% of customers whose compliance experience was worse than expected said they were less likely to switch providers.[34]
  • 49% of customers with a better-than-expected compliance experience said they were less likely to switch providers.[34]

Customer loyalty in the due diligence industry

  • 32% of customers whose compliance experience was worse than expected said they were more likely to recommend their provider.[34]
  • 60% of customers with a better-than-expected compliance experience said they were more likely to buy another product from their provider.[34]
  • 21% of customers whose compliance experience was worse than expected said they were more likely to buy another product from their provider.[34]
  • 77% of customers with a better-than-expected compliance experience said they were more likely to recommend their provider.[34]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Tech-assisted content workflows influence collaboration needs, with 74% of B2B influencers using artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation in Q1 2026 research.

Influencer Marketing in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners say finding the right talent is their single biggest collaboration obstacle, based on Q1 2026 research.[36]
  • 86% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners and creators prefer co-creating content with brands rather than amplifying finished brand content, based on Q1 2026 research.[36]
  • 78% of B2B influencer-marketing practitioners identify brand awareness and lead generation as their joint top challenges, based on Q1 2026 research.[36]
  • 74% of B2B influencers use artificial-intelligence tools to enhance content creation, based on Q1 2026 research.[36]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational pressure centers on technology diligence: 51% of U.S. investment-banking respondents said technology due diligence was the single most burdensome element in 2026.

Process optimization in the due diligence industry

  • 47% of U.S. investment-banking respondents identified technology due diligence as their main priority during the previous 12 months in 2026.[37]
  • 84% of U.S. investment-banking respondents anticipated increased cybersecurity due-diligence scrutiny during the following 12–24 months in 2026.[37]
  • 43.2% of M&A professionals expected the level of due diligence requested on target acquisitions to increase during the following 12 months, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]
  • 75% of respondents rated commercial due diligence as an important additional sell-side document in the transaction process, Germany, 2023.[39]
  • 51% of U.S. investment-banking respondents said technology due diligence was the single most burdensome element of the review in 2026.[37]

Operational efficiency in the due diligence industry

  • 46% of respondents said value drivers were fully translated into executable initiatives with clear owners, timelines and dependencies before integration, in PwC’s 2026 global M&A integration survey.[2]
  • Roughly 75% of respondents agreed or partly agreed that multiple due-diligence services should be sourced from a single provider, Germany, 2023.[39]
  • 81% of companies with a formalized integration playbook met or exceeded strategic and operational deal targets, compared with 62% without one, in an international survey.[40]
  • 75% of companies with a dedicated integration leader succeeded in reaching their strategic goals, according to an international post-merger integration survey.[40]
  • 61% of acquirers reported having a target operating model in place at signing in 2023, up from 59% in 2020.[2]

Quality management in the due diligence industry

  • 34% of respondents identified the quality of due diligence as a factor behind successful M&A deals, internationally, 2023.[40]
  • 84% of successful acquirers identified access to new technologies as an important transaction objective, compared with 78% overall, globally, 2026.[2]
  • 27% of respondents identified insufficient depth of due diligence as an underestimated integration challenge, internationally, 2023.[40]
  • 78% of respondents identified access to new technologies as an important transaction objective, globally, in PwC’s 2026 M&A integration survey.[2]
  • 62% of companies without a formal integration playbook met or exceeded strategic and operational targets, compared with 81% of companies with one, internationally, 2023.[40]

Supply chain in the due diligence industry

  • 81% of respondents rated ensuring proper contract terms for third-party relationships as good or better, globally, 2024.[41]
  • 26% of respondents were satisfied with the integration of trade systems and data across their company, globally, 2024.[42]
  • 78% of respondents prioritized better supply-chain visibility as a technology investment, according to Thomson Reuters’ 2024 global corporate trade survey.[42]
  • 74% of respondents rated establishing an appropriate business rationale for each third-party relationship as good or better, globally, 2024.[41]
  • 73% of respondents rated enhanced third-party due diligence based on high-, medium- and low-risk definitions as good or better, in NAVEX’s 2024 global survey.[41]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the professional and business services sector (sector benchmark)

  • 65% of U.S. CPA firms participating in the 2025 National MAP Survey that offshored used India, followed by 33% using the Philippines.[43]
  • 39% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad outsourced business functions to external providers during 2021–2023, while 72% used affiliated-group insourcing.[6]
  • 29% of U.S. CPA firms responding to the 2025 National MAP Survey utilized offshoring, rising to 74% among firms with at least $10 million in net client fees.[43]
  • 47.5% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced administrative and management functions internationally during 2021–2023.[6]
  • 28.8% of EU enterprises sourcing abroad sourced information and communication technology services internationally during 2021–2023.[6]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Timelines and efficiency gains are moving measurable work: 57% of respondents reported 11–25% GenAI efficiency gains in target screening and prioritization in KPMG’s year-end 2025 M&A survey.

Pricing strategy in the due diligence industry

  • 30.3% of M&A professionals expected cash to be their organization’s primary acquisition-financing option in the following year, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]
  • 26.6% of M&A professionals expected lender financing to be their organization’s primary acquisition-financing vehicle for the following year, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]
  • 50% of respondents strongly agreed that W&I insurance-broker capabilities of a professional-services firm contribute to cost-efficient collaboration across workstreams, Germany, 2023.[39]
  • 15.9% of M&A professionals preferred equity financing as their organization’s primary acquisition-financing option for the following year, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]
  • Approximately 75% of respondents agreed or partly agreed that multiple due-diligence services should be sourced from one provider rather than modular suppliers, Germany, 2023.[39]

Cost reduction in the due diligence industry

  • 50% of respondents reported 11–25% GenAI efficiency gains in due diligence, indicating reduced manual effort, globally, 2025.[7]
  • 20% of respondents reported that M&A due-diligence timelines had extended during the previous two years, in a 2026 U.S. investment-banking survey.[37]
  • 49% of respondents reported 11–25% GenAI efficiency gains in competitive intelligence and market analysis, globally, 2025.[7]
  • 57% of respondents reporting 11–25% GenAI efficiency gains in target screening and prioritization indicated early manual-effort reductions, in KPMG’s year-end 2025 M&A survey.[7]
  • 57% of respondents whose due-diligence timelines had extended said an additional one to three months had been added, U.S., 2026.[37]

Profitability in the due diligence industry

  • Technology, data and systems enabled at least one-quarter of synergies for nearly 90% of acquirers, globally, 2026.[2]
  • Nearly 90% of respondents fully agreed that value-creation opportunities facilitate the sales process, in Deloitte’s German M&A advisory survey.[39]
  • 62% of acquirers with a formal integration playbook met or exceeded strategic and operational targets, compared with 81% with a playbook, internationally, 2023.[40]
  • Almost one-third of acquirers reported that technology, data and systems enabled more than half of their synergies, globally, 2026.[2]
  • 42% of respondents ranked business digitization as a value-creation lever receiving the highest importance rating, Germany, 2023.[39]

Financial planning in the due diligence industry

  • 17% of M&A professionals attributed increased due-diligence needs to a tougher lending environment, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]
  • Only 27% of limited-success acquirers were very confident that reported synergies were real and auditable, globally, 2026.[2]
  • 59% of successful acquirers assigned every value initiative an owner, timeline and funding before integration, compared with 28% of limited-success acquirers, globally, 2026.[2]
  • 35.2% of M&A professionals expected buyer-requested due diligence to increase in a comparable February 2023 poll, up to 43.2% in June 2024.[38]
  • 40.7% of M&A professionals planned to pursue one or two deals during the following year, according to a 2024 Deloitte poll.[38]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Due diligence software ecosystems track adjacent identity tooling: 57% of UK digital identity providers offered biometrics, liveness detection or verification-security products in 2026.

Product development in the due diligence industry

  • 233 of the 275 UK digital identity firms were dedicated providers, while 42 were diversified firms, as of January 2026.[9]
  • 57% of UK digital identity providers offered biometrics, liveness detection or verification-security products in 2026.[9]
  • 39% of UK digital identity providers supplied identity data, brokerage or analytics products in 2026.[9]
  • 37% of UK digital identity providers offered trust-services products such as electronic signatures, seals or certificates in 2026.[9]
  • 61% of UK digital identity providers offered identity foundations products or services in 2026.[9]

Product lifecycle in the due diligence industry

  • 75% of PwC global compliance survey respondents used technology for customer due diligence or assessments in 2025.[2]
  • 25% of surveyed companies did not use technology for digital product-lifecycle compliance but planned to invest, according to PwC’s 2025 global compliance survey.[2]
  • 30% of surveyed companies used technology for digital product-lifecycle compliance but did not plan additional investment, according to PwC’s 2025 global compliance survey.[2]
  • 82% of companies in PwC’s 2025 global compliance survey planned to invest more in at least one technology for compliance activities.[2]
  • 15% of surveyed companies neither used technology nor planned investment for digital product-lifecycle compliance, according to PwC’s 2025 global compliance survey.[2]

After-sales in the due diligence industry

  • 56% of UK digital identity providers reported serving infrastructure and industrial customers in 2026.[9]
  • 41% of UK digital identity providers reported supporting employee background screening in 2026.[9]
  • 4,700 unique customers and partnerships were identified across UK digital identity providers in the 2026 sectoral analysis.[9]
  • 72% of UK digital identity providers reported serving healthcare and public-services customers in 2026.[9]
  • 38% of UK digital identity providers reported supporting customer onboarding in 2026.[9]

Value proposition in the due diligence industry

  • £686 million of UK digital identity-sector revenue was attributed to exports in the 2024–2025 financial year.[9]
  • £107,800 was estimated gross value added per employee in the UK digital identity sector in the 2024–2025 financial year.[9]
  • £1.037 billion was the estimated gross value added of the UK digital identity sector in the 2024–2025 financial year.[9]
  • 62% of revenue among 28 UK digital identity firms reporting geographic data came from international markets in the 2024–2025 financial year.[9]
  • £2.027 billion was the estimated annual revenue of the UK digital identity sector in the 2024–2025 financial year.[9]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

ESG diligence is shifting toward findings and implementation pressure: 37% of third-party due-diligence reviews uncovered a material finding in 2026.

ESG in the due diligence industry

  • 6% of organizations reported broad visibility into fourth parties in 2026, indicating a major gap in extended ESG and supply-chain oversight.[20]
  • 20% of organizations in North America screened third parties for ESG concerns in 2025.[41]
  • 31% of Europe-based organizations screened third parties for environmental, social and governance concerns in 2025, compared with 20% in North America.[41]
  • 37% of third-party due-diligence reviews uncovered a material finding in 2026.[20]
  • 26% of organizations reviewed third parties for ESG orientation and transparency, including diversity, equity and inclusion, in 2025.[41]

Ethics in the due diligence industry

  • 77% of ethics and compliance professionals said their organizations emphasized values rather than rules to motivate ethical behavior in 2024.[44]
  • 35% of organizations managed ethics investigations using spreadsheets in 2025.[44]
  • 37% of organizations tracked misconduct trends after training in 2025.[44]
  • 31% of organizations evaluated ethical behavior in performance reviews in 2025.[44]
  • 44% of organizations measured training comprehension in 2025.[44]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border operationalization is accelerating tool spend: 51% of surveyed organizations’ third-party risk-management spending is allocated to technology and tools globally in 2025.

Globalization in the due diligence industry

  • More than 80% of organizations use managed services, outsourcing, or both for core third-party risk-management activities globally in 2025.[54]
  • 51% of surveyed organizations’ third-party risk-management spending is allocated to technology and tools globally in 2025.[7]
  • 70,000+ users across 100+ countries use DiligenceVault’s digital due diligence technology, according to the company in 2025.[23]
  • 52% of surveyed organizations’ third-party risk-management spending is allocated to risk assessment and due diligence globally in 2025.[7]

Supplier management in the due diligence industry

  • 79% of organizations tracked contractual or service-level performance risks in 2024, while 48% remediated identified risks.[55]
  • 87% of organizations tracked risks during third-party risk assessment in 2024, while 46% remediated identified risks.[55]
  • 63% of companies conducting supplier sustainability assessments did so without prior supplier screening, according to research cited by the OECD in 2025.[8]
  • 85% of organizations tracked risks during third-party intake and onboarding in 2024, while 32% remediated identified risks.[55]
  • 3,231 vendors were used by organizations surveyed in 2024, but only 1,074 vendors were managed in a third-party risk-management program worldwide.[55]

Stakeholder management in the due diligence industry

  • 58% of organizations reported tracking third-party cybersecurity risks more than the previous year in 2024.[55]
  • 36% of organizations used a risk-based approach to third-party due diligence in NAVEX’s 2024 survey.[45]
  • 23% of organizations reported a security incident tied to a third party in Cyentia Institute’s 2024 study, up from 9% in 2020.[56]
  • 61% of organizations reported a third-party data breach or security incident during the preceding year in Prevalent’s 2024 global study.[55]
  • 81% of NAVEX survey respondents said compliance had a moderate or strong influence on business decisions in 2024.[45]

Distribution channels in the due diligence industry

  • 40% of organizations outsourced due diligence and risk-decision activities in KPMG’s 2025 third-party risk-management survey.[54]
  • 44% of organizations used managed services for ongoing third-party monitoring in 2025.[54]
  • 21% of organizations used both outsourcing and managed services for due diligence and risk decisions in 2025.[54]
  • 40% of organizations used managed services for due diligence and risk-decision activities in KPMG’s 2025 survey.[54]
  • 28% of organizations outsourced planning and third-party identification activities in KPMG’s 2025 survey.[54]

Key questions about the Due Diligence Industry

What is the 2025 market size for due diligence adviser fees?
The global due diligence services market generated $10.1 billion in adviser fees in 2025.
How fast is the due diligence market expected to grow through 2034?
The market is forecast to reach $18.41 billion by 2034, implying a 6.9% CAGR from 2025.
Which companies lead the due diligence industry?
EY leads Gitnux's 2026 due diligence ranking with an Overall score of 9.0, with financial, tax, commercial, operational, technology, cyber and sustainability due diligence. PwC is the runner-up at 8.9, with financial due diligence focused on earnings quality, working capital, cash flow and deal risks.
Where does technology adoption show up most in due diligence work?
In a global January 2026 survey, 61% of dealmakers use AI for document review during due diligence, and 84% use AI in early-stage or outside-in diligence.
How is the market structured by workstream?
Financial due diligence is the largest workstream at 30.0% of global adviser fees in 2025, while IT due diligence is the fastest-growing at 9.2% annually.
What is driving additional diligence demand in 2026?
Growth drivers for 2026–2030 include greater M&A activity, regulatory scrutiny, and ESG investigations, along with real-time risk intelligence and digital platforms.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Due Diligence Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/due-diligence-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Due Diligence Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/due-diligence-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Due Diligence Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/due-diligence-industry-statistics.

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