These are the worst risks to the world in 2025 and beyond
The report sets the agenda for discussions at the forum’s annual meeting in Davos, which is being held this year under the title “Cooperation for the Smart Age.”“.
The most prominent global economic risks
The World Economic Forum believes in its latest report on “Global Risks” that the global landscape has become increasingly fractured, with escalating geopolitical, environmental, societal and technological challenges threatening stability and progress, according to what Engineering News magazine reported.
Read also: How does Donald Trump’s return to the White House affect the global economy?
The 20th edition of the report confirms that although economic risks are less prominent in this year’s survey results, they remain a concern and are linked to societal and geopolitical tensions..
Armed conflict…the worst dangers
In the report, which is based on the views of more than 900 global risk experts, policymakers and industry leaders, the World Economic Forum identified state-based “armed conflict” as the most pressing immediate global risk of 2025, with nearly a quarter of respondents rating it as the most serious concern..
The most important short-term risks
Misinformation and misinformation remain one of the most important short-term risks for the second year in a row, confirming their continuing threat to societal cohesion and governance by eroding trust and exacerbating divisions within and between countries..
Other short-term risks include extreme weather events, societal polarization, cyber espionage, and war.
Long-term environmental risks
Environmental risks dominate the long-term outlook, with extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, critical change in Earth systems and natural resource shortages topping the ten-year risk rankings..
The fifth risk on the top ten list is pollution, which is also seen as a major risk in the short term.
“Rising geopolitical tensions and collapsing trust are driving the global risk landscape, and in this complex and dynamic context, leaders have a choice: find ways to enhance cooperation and resilience or face worsening vulnerabilities,” said Mirek Dusek, Director-General of the World Economic Forum.
World economic prospects
The Global Risks report indicates that respondents are less optimistic about the world’s long-term prospects than in the short-term.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents expect a turbulent or stormy global landscape by 2035, driven in particular by growing environmental, technological and societal challenges..
Nearly a quarter of respondents view state-based armed conflict as the greatest global threat.
andThe overall view of global risks is not very different from last year, although it is more negative. A similar percentage of this year’s survey respondents (52%) who were surveyed from September to October 2024 expect some instability over the next two years..
However, another 31% expect greater disruptions and 5% expect near-term global catastrophic risks, indicating increased pessimism as these three categories combined represent an increase of 4 percentage points over last year. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents expect turbulent or stormy prospects over the next ten years.
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