Aflac celebrates 20 years as a World's Most Ethical Company

Rhea-AI Summary

Aflac (NYSE:AFL) announced on March 18, 2026 it was named a World's Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere for the 20th consecutive year. Aflac is the only insurance company and one of six organizations to earn the recognition every year since 2007.

Aflac highlighted its long-term community support, including nearly $200 million donated to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center since 1995, and emphasized ethics, compliance, and transparency as core company practices.

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Only insurance company to appear on prestigious list every year since 2007

COLUMBUS, Ga., March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac Incorporated, the leading provider of supplemental health insurance in the U.S.,¹ announced today that the company has once again been named by Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, as a World's Most Ethical Company. This marks the 20^th consecutive year that Aflac has appeared on the prestigious list, making it the only insurance company, and one of only six companies in the world, to bear this distinction since the award's inception in 2007.

"This recognition from Ethisphere for 20 consecutive years is extremely gratifying for our company, as it serves as a consistent stamp of approval for the ethical actions of our employees and company leaders," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said. "Given how today's consumers consider the values of companies the same way investors measure company performance, no one should be surprised that companies that conduct themselves ethically, often perform better."

Aflac has a long history of providing support for communities, including a 30-year commitment to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Since 1995, Aflac, along with its dedicated independent sales teams and employees, has contributed nearly $200 million to this cause. The company also prioritizes transparency and strict adherence to regulatory and compliance matters to help ensure customer satisfaction and returns to shareholders.

"Congratulations to Aflac for achieving recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies®. As we mark the 20th class of honorees, this group continues to raise the bar for business integrity by embedding ethics into everyday decision-making and long-term strategy. Companies with strong ethics, compliance and governance programs are built for better long-term performance," said Erica Salmon Byrne, Ethisphere's Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Chair.

In 2026, 138 honorees were recognized, spanning 17 countries and 40 industries. This year's class includes 19 first-time honorees and only six organizations that have been recognized 20 times.

Methodology & Scoring The World's Most Ethical Companies assessment is grounded in Ethisphere's proprietary Ethics Quotient®, which requires companies to provide 240+ documented proof points on practices that support robust ethics and compliance, including: corporate governance; program structure & resourcing; written standards; training, awareness, & communication; risk assessment & auditing; investigations, enforcement, discipline & incentives; measurement of ethical culture; third-party risk management, and environmental & social impact. That data undergoes further qualitative analysis by our panel of experts who spend thousands of hours vetting and evaluating each year's group of applicants. This process serves as an operating framework to capture and codify best-in-class ethics and compliance practices from organizations across industries and from around the world. Honorees To view the full list of this year's honorees, please visit the World's Most Ethical Companies website: https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees.

ABOUT ETHISPHERE

Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that strengthen corporate brands, build trust in the marketplace, and deliver business success. Companies turn ethics, compliance, and culture into a business advantage by leveraging Ethisphere's data-driven program & culture assessments featuring the latest guidance and the practices of hundreds of global organizations across the 8 pillars of an ethical culture, and 240+ ethics, compliance, social, and governance data points delivered through a proprietary software platform. Ethisphere also honors superior integrity programs through World's Most Ethical Companies® recognition, brings together a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and advances ethical business practices through the Global Ethics Summit, Ethisphere Magazine, and the Ethicast podcast. For more information, visit https://ethisphere.com.

ABOUT AFLAC INCORPORATED

Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Japan. In the U.S., Aflac is the No. 1 provider of supplemental health insurance products.¹ In Japan, Aflac Life Insurance Japan is the leading provider of cancer and medical insurance in terms of policies in force. The company takes pride in being there for its policyholders when they need us most, as well as being included in the World's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 20 consecutive years (2026) and Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 24 years (2025). In addition, the company became a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in 2021 and has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (2024) for 11 years. To find out how to get help with expenses health insurance doesn't cover, get to know us at aflac.com or aflac.com/español. Investors may learn more about Aflac Incorporated and its commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability at investors.aflac.com under "Sustainability."

¹ LIMRA 2024 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report 

Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or jsullivan@aflac.com
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or dyoung@aflac.com

Aflac | Aflac New York | WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999
Continental American Insurance Company | Columbia, SC

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SOURCE Aflac

FAQ

What did Aflac (AFL) announce on March 18, 2026 about Ethisphere recognition?

Aflac announced it was named a World's Most Ethical Company for the 20th consecutive year. According to Aflac, this makes it the only insurance company and one of six companies worldwide to be honored every year since 2007, underscoring consistent ethics programs.

How many consecutive years has Aflac (AFL) been named a World's Most Ethical Company?

Aflac has been named for 20 consecutive years through 2026. According to Aflac, that makes it the only insurance company and one of only six organizations globally to appear on the list every year since 2007.

What criteria does Ethisphere use to select World's Most Ethical Companies for Aflac (AFL)?

Ethisphere evaluates companies using its Ethics Quotient® assessment requiring 240+ documented proof points. According to Aflac, the review covers governance, training, risk assessment, third-party management, culture measurement, and environmental and social impact practices.

How many honorees were named in 2026 and how unique is Aflac's recognition (AFL)?

In 2026, Ethisphere recognized 138 honorees across 17 countries and 40 industries. According to Aflac, only six organizations, including Aflac, have achieved the 20-time distinction since the program began in 2007.

What community commitments did Aflac (AFL) highlight alongside its ethics award on March 18, 2026?

Aflac emphasized a 30-year support commitment to the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and nearly $200 million in contributions since 1995. According to Aflac, this donation record reflects its long-term community and patient-focused commitments.