Report highlights top global threats
A new report has revealed an increasingly fractured global landscape, where escalating geopolitical, 
environmental, societal and technological challenges threaten stability and progress.
Conflict, the environment and disinformation are outlined as the top threats in this year’s 20th edition of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Risks Report, which was published to coincide with the Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland from Jan 20 – 24, 2025.
While economic risks have less immediate prominence in this year’s survey results, they remain a concern, interconnected with societal and geopolitical tensions.
The report shows how environmental risks dominate the longer-term outlook, with extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, critical change to Earth systems and natural resources shortages leading the rankings.
“This year’s Global Risks Perception Survey shows that a sense of alarm is also mounting in the shorter term: Environmental problems, from extreme weather to pollution, are here now and the need to implement solutions is urgent,” it says.
The long-term landscape is also clouded by technological risks related to misinformation, disinformation and adverse outcomes of AI technologies.
"Rising geopolitical tensions and a fracturing of trust are driving the global risk landscape" said Mirek Dušek, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. "In this complex and dynamic context, leaders have a choice: to find ways to foster collaboration and resilience, or face compounding vulnerabilities."
Fractured systems, fragile futures
According to a media release from the WEF the report, which draws on the views of over 900 global risks experts, policy-makers and industry leaders surveyed in September and October 2024, paints a stark picture of the decade ahead. Respondents are far less optimistic about the outlook for the world over the longer term than the short term. Nearly two-thirds of respondents anticipate a turbulent or stormy global landscape by 2035, driven in particular by intensifying environmental, technological and societal challenges.
Over half of respondents expect some instability within two years, reflecting the widespread fracturing of international cooperation.
Long-term projections signal even greater challenges as mechanisms for collaboration are expected to face mounting pressure. Societal risks such as inequality and societal polarization feature prominently in both short- and long-term risk rankings. Rising concerns about illicit economic activity, mounting debt burdens and the concentration of strategic resources highlight vulnerabilities that could destabilize the global economy in the coming years.
All these issues risk exacerbating domestic instability and eroding trust in governance, further complicating efforts to address global challenges.
All 33 risks in the ranking increase in severity score over the longer term, reflecting respondents’ concerns about the heightened frequency or intensity of these risks as the next decade unfolds.
"From conflicts to climate change, we are facing interconnected crises that demand coordinated, collective action," says Mark Elsner, Head of the Global Risks Initiative, World Economic Forum. “Renewed efforts to rebuild trust and foster cooperation are urgently needed. The consequences of inaction could be felt for generations to come."
In a nutshell:
- State-based armed conflict emerges as the top immediate risk for 2025, identified by nearly a quarter of respondents, reflecting heightened geopolitical tensions and fragmentation globally.
- Misinformation and disinformation lead the short-term risks and may fuel instability and undermine trust in governance, complicating the urgent need for cooperation to address shared crises.
- Environmental risks dominate the 10-year horizon, led by extreme weather events, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.
Read the report HERE.
* Banner photo by Daniel Lincoln on Unsplash