January 23, 2026 - A rise in nationalism, unsettling developments among nations that have historically been allied partners, and increased conflicts among nations is raising concerns about overall stability at a global level. ... These same top five risks remain as the top five risks when looking out over short-term horizons (2028), with geopolitical confrontation remaining as the #1 short-term risk concern. Interestingly, that risk concern increased eight positions from its ranking last year, suggesting a noticeably elevated concern.

“Please select one risk that you believe is most likely to present a material crisis on a global scale in 2026.” (top 10 risks selected ... Severity was assessed on a 1-7 Likert scale [1 = Low severity, 7 = High severity]. ... Sample size by age group varied, and all respondents were weighted ...

Of the biggest concerns in the next two years, mis- and disinformation is another that is also perceived as a severe long-term risk, in fourth place, with the fear of adverse outcomes of AI rounding off the top five. Global risks ranked by severity, short term (2 years) and long term (10 years) Image: World Economic Forum

Economic downturn and inflation risks both surged eight positions, to 11th and 21st respectively, while asset bubble burst rose seven to 18th position. Mounting debt concerns and potential asset bubbles, amid geoeconomic tensions, could trigger ...

In the next 10 years, environmental risks have retained their ranking as the most severe risks, with Extreme weather events identified as the top risk and half of the top 10 risks being environmental in nature (Figures 7 and 10). In this year’s GRPS, we also asked respondents about their perceptions of the global outlook by risk category: societal, technological, environmental, economic and geopolitical.

January 14, 2026 - “Extreme weather events” topped the list, followed by “biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse” and “critical change to Earth systems”. “Unlike in the two-year outlook, where these have declined in rankings, the existential nature ...

January 14, 2026 - ... Misinformation and disinformation rank second on the WEF's list of short-term risks, followed by societal polarization — or widening gaps between sharply opposed groups of people.

January 21, 2026 - The centrality of geoeconomic confrontation in the global risks landscape is not restricted to 2026, with respondents selecting it as the top risk over the two-year time horizon (to 2028), as well, up eight positions from last year.

January 14, 2026 - Economic downturn at #11 and Inflation at #21 are each up eight positions from last year, followed closely by Asset bubble burst at #18, which increased seven positions. Disruptions to critical infrastructure is also up four positions to #22.

January 29, 2026 - State-based armed conflict ranks second in the WEF report, selected by 14% of respondents. Notably, there are 59 active state-based conflicts worldwide, the highest number since World War II. Rounding out the top three risks are extreme weather events, selected by 8% respondents overall. From wildfires to droughts, severe weather events are meaningfully contributing to food inflation, displacement, and higher insurance costs. As global ...

April 18, 2026 - The WEF Global Risks Report 2026, published by the World Economic Forum, is one of the world’s most authoritative annual assessments of global threats. Based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) of over 900 experts from academia, business, government, international organizations, and civil society, the report identifies, ranks, and analyzes the most severe risks facing the world over both short-term (2-year) and long-term (10-year) horizons.

January 14, 2026 - For the next two years, the majority of environmental risks experienced declines in ranking, with Extreme weather events moving from #2 to #4, Pollution from #6 to #9, and declines also in ranking for Critical change to earth systems and ...

January 16, 2026 - The World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 21st edition of its annual Global Risks Report (January 2026). The report analyses global risks through three timeframes (i.e., current or immediate term (in 2026), the short-to-medium term (to 2028), and in the long-term (to 2036)) to enable ...

March 9, 2026 - For four consecutive years, the WEF has ranked extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and pollution among the most severe long-term threats. The report’s environmental warnings are grounded in hard data.

In the next 10 years, environmental risks have retained their ranking as the most severe risks, with Extreme weather events identified as the top risk and half of the top 10 risks being environmental in nature (Figures 7 and 10). In this year’s GRPS, we also asked respondents about their perceptions of the global outlook by risk category: societal, technological, environmental, economic and geopolitical.

The World Economic Forum's Global ... that include energy supply and food crisis, rising inflation, cyberattacks, failure to meet net-zero targets, weaponization of economic policy, weakening of human rights....

The Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum's annual snapshot of the biggest risks facing the world in the near, medium and long terms, shows geopolitical and economic risks on the rise in the new 'age of competition'. The report is published just days before the Forum's Annual Meeting and is a good indicator of what the 3,000 leaders convening in Davos, Switzerland will be talking about.

The 20th edition of the Global Risks Report 2025 reveals an increasingly fractured global landscape, where escalating geopolitical, environmental, societal and technological challenges threaten stability and progress. This edition presents the findings of the Global Risks Perception Survey 2024-2025 (GRPS), which captures insights from over 900 experts worldwide.

State-based armed conflict is identified as the most pressing immediate global risk for 2025, with nearly one-quarter of respondents ranking it as the most severe concern for the year ahead.

April 14, 2026 - The Chief Economists' Outlook: January 2026 examines near-term economic prospects alongside deeper structural shifts shaping growth, policy and investment. ... The annual Global Risks Report explores some of the most severe risks we may face in the coming years.