Global Risks Report 2026: Key Insights and Analysis

Executive Summary

The Global Risks Report 2026 presents a progressively darkening outlook for the world, characterized by an era of intense competition, the decay of multilateral cooperation, and the compounding effects of interconnected risks across geopolitical, economic, societal, technological, and environmental domains. Analysis based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), which gathered insights from over 1,300 global experts, indicates that 50% of respondents anticipate a turbulent or stormy outlook over the next two years, a figure that rises to 57% over a ten-year horizon.

In the immediate and short-term (2026-2028), the risk landscape is dominated by Geoeconomic confrontation, which has emerged as the most severe risk. This is followed closely by concerns over State-based armed conflict, Misinformation and disinformation, and Societal polarization. Economic risks have seen the sharpest increase in perceived severity, with Economic downturn, Inflation, and Asset bubble burst rising significantly in the rankings. Concurrently, environmental risks are being deprioritized in the short term, though they remain the most significant long-term threat.

Over the next decade (to 2036), the perspective shifts dramatically. Environmental perils reclaim the top positions, with Extreme weather events, Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, and Critical change to Earth systems identified as the most severe long-term risks. Technological risks also surge in importance, as Adverse outcomes of AI technologies makes the most significant leap of any risk, moving from 30th in the two-year ranking to 5th in the ten-year view. Societal risks, particularly Inequality—identified as the most interconnected global risk for the second consecutive year—persist as a dominant feature across all time horizons, fueling instability and eroding the social contract.

The report diagnoses a fundamental shift towards a contested multipolar world order where collaboration is fracturing, trust is eroding, and nations are increasingly wielding economic tools for strategic advantage. This trend undermines the capacity for collective action on shared challenges like climate change and technological governance, creating a volatile and uncertain future.

https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2026/digest/

Global Risk Outlook: A Darkening Landscape

The prevailing sentiment among global experts is one of growing pessimism and uncertainty. The global outlook is perceived as predominantly negative across both short and long-term timeframes, signaling an age of intensifying competition where cooperative mechanisms are crumbling.

Surveyed Outlook (2026-2036)

The GRPS findings reveal a significant negative shift in the perception of the global outlook.

• Short-Term (2 Years): 50% of respondents anticipate a "turbulent" or "stormy" outlook, a 14 percentage-point increase from the previous year. 40% view it as "unsettled," while only 1% expect a "calm" period.
• Long-Term (10 Years): The negative outlook intensifies, with 57% foreseeing a "turbulent" or "stormy" future. 32% anticipate an "unsettled" decade, and again, only 1% predict a "calm" outlook.

Outlook by Risk Category (10 Years)

When disaggregated by risk category, the long-term outlook shows varying degrees of pessimism:

• Environmental Risks: Perceived with the most pessimism, with nearly 75% of respondents selecting a "turbulent" or "stormy" outlook.
• Geopolitical and Societal Risks: A majority of respondents expect a "turbulent" outlook for these categories.
• Technological Risks: While still a concern, this category has a relatively more positive outlook, with 18% of respondents expecting a "calm" or "stable" future over the next decade.

The Emerging Competitive Order

A key finding is the definitive shift away from a rules-based international order. A commanding 68% of respondents describe the global political environment in 10 years as a "multipolar or fragmented order in which middle and great powers contest, set and enforce regional rules and norms." This represents a four percentage-point increase from the previous year, underscoring a trend toward strategic competition and the retreat of multilateralism.

Analysis of Key Risks by Time Horizon

The report analyzes 33 distinct global risks, with their perceived severity shifting significantly depending on the timeframe under consideration.

Download Full PDF: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Global_Risks_Report_2026.pdf