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.

2 weeks ago - ... 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.

2 weeks ago - Geoeconomic confrontation — which refers to the use of tools such as sanctions and tariffs — ranked above misinformation and disinformation, societal polarisation, extreme weather and state-based armed conflict as the top global risk for 2026.

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 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.

2 weeks ago - “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 ...

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 two-year outlook, State-based ... could unfold. The rise in the two-year ranking of Geoeconomic confrontation, from #14 last year to #9 today reflects unease about the path ahead for global economic relations....

2 weeks ago - Geoeconomic confrontation, state-based ... published Wednesday. Some 18% of respondents ranked geoeconomic confrontation as the top risk most likely to trigger a material global crisis in 2026, while 14% selected state-based armed ...

1 week ago - “As we enter 2026, the world is balancing on a precipice,” said the WEF’s global risks report. ... “Rules and institutions that have long underpinned stability are under siege in a new era in which trade, finance and technology are wielded as weapons of influence.” ... This “geoeconomic confrontation” shot to the top of the ranking this year, identified by the survey of 1,300 leaders and experts as the most pressing immediate global risk.

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 ...

2 days ago - 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.

1 week ago - Together, these risks threaten supply chains, global growth and the cooperation needed to address shared challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, the report said. Geoeconomic confrontation and misinformation top WEF’s ranking ...

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.

As an example, consider the ‘risk ... of 34 global risks, on a 1–7 scale [1 – Low severity, 7 – High severity]. A simple average based on the scores selected was calculated and the results ranked by severity: 1) Misinformation and ...

2 weeks ago - 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.

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.

2 weeks ago - The top five risks are geoeconomic confrontation (18 percent of respondents), state-based armed conflict (14 percent), extreme weather events (8 percent), societal polarization (7 percent) and misinformation and disinformation (7 percent).

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 World Economic Forum publishes a comprehensive series of reports which examine in detail the broad range of global issues it seeks to address with stakeholders as part of its mission of improving the state of the world. Besides reports on its key events and standalone publications such ...