Why in the News?
The World Economic Forum released the Global Risks Report 2026, based on the Global Risks Perception Survey of over 1300 global experts, highlighting geoeconomic confrontation as the most severe near term global risk.
About the Report
- 21st edition of the Global Risks Report
- Analyses risks across three time horizons
- Immediate term: 2026
- Short to medium term: up to 2028
- Long term: up to 2036
- Survey respondents from academia, business, government, international organisations and civil society
- Released ahead of the annual WEF meeting in Davos
Top Risks in 2026
- Geoeconomic confrontation ranked number one
- Use of tariffs, sanctions, investment restrictions and control over critical minerals
- Followed by State based armed conflict
- Reflects retreat from multilateral cooperation and rise of economic weaponisation
Economic Risks Trend
- Economic risks show the sharpest rise in rankings
- Economic downturn up to rank 11
- Inflation rose to rank 21
- Asset bubble burst moved to rank 18
- Driven by debt stress, financial fragility and geopolitical rivalry
Technological Risks
- Misinformation and disinformation ranked 2nd in short term
- Cyber insecurity ranked 6th in short term
- Adverse outcomes of AI technologies
- Rank 30 in 2 year outlook
- Rank 5 in 10 year outlook
- Concerns include job disruption, social harm, mental health impacts and military use of AI
Societal Risks
- Rising political and social polarisation
- Weakening trust in institutions
- Inequality identified as the most interconnected global risk for second consecutive year
- Growth of street versus elite narratives challenging democratic resilience
Environmental Risks
- Short term deprioritisation
- Extreme weather fell from rank 2 to 4
- Pollution dropped from rank 6 to 9
- Biodiversity loss and earth system change declined sharply
- Long term dominance
- Environmental risks occupy half of top 10 risks
- Extreme weather ranked as the top long term risk
- Environmental category viewed with highest pessimism over 10 year horizon
Global Order Transition
- Movement toward a multipolar and fragmented world
- 68 percent respondents expect a contested multipolar order over next decade
- Only 6 percent expect revival of a unipolar rules based system
- Institutions rooted in Bretton Woods Conference under strain
| [2019] The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the:
(a) International Monetary Fund (b) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (c) World Economic Forum (d) World Bank |
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