The Asia-Pacific deal ecosystem has reportedly experienced a slowdown in activity during January-November 2025, reflecting a “broader trend of cautious deal-making.” The total number of deals (comprising mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing deals) announced in the APAC region “decreased by 5% during January-November 2025 compared to the same period in the previous year,” according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company.
An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that all the deal types under coverage “registered year-on-year (YoY) decline during January-November 2025, whereas the trend remained mixed across different markets.”
The decline in overall deal volume is primarily driven by “a downturn in M&A activity, which saw a reduction of 5% during January-November 2025 compared to January-November 2024.”
Venture financing deal volume also experienced a slight “YoY contraction of 3% during the same period, while private equity deals declined by 22%.”
Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments:
“This trend indicates a cautious approach among investors and companies as they navigate a challenging environment characterized by fluctuating market conditions. Meanwhile, a closer examination of key markets reveals divergent trends, with some countries exhibiting resilience, others grappling with declines in deal activity.”
Japan faced a slight decline of “2% YoY, whereas Australia and South Korea experienced more significant decreases of 10% and 27%, respectively.”
Singapore, another key player in the APAC region, saw a “decrease of 15%, while Malaysia and Thailand also reported substantial declines of 21% each.”
Bose concludes:
“While the overall APAC deal landscape has softened, certain markets are demonstrating resilience and growth potential. The number of deals announced in China, the top APAC market, remained mostly at the same level during January-November 2025 compared to January-November 2024, suggesting resilience amidst broader declining trend. Meanwhile, India demonstrated a positive growth trajectory, with deal volume rising by 4%, indicating a robust appetite for activity in this rapidly developing market.”
As clarified in the GlobalData update, the historic data may “change in case some deals get added to previous months because of a delay in disclosure of information in the public domain.”
As covered, the world’s companies, including some of the FTSE 100 Fortune 100 companies, make “business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s data, analysis and solutions, all in one platform.”
GlobalData’s mission is to help clients “decode the future to be more successful across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services.”
