The Global Risks Report 2026:
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 has ranked geoeconomic confrontation as the world’s top short-term risk, overtaking armed conflict, reflecting rising trade wars, sanctions, and weaponization of economic tools.
The Global Risks Report 2026:
- The Global Risks Report 2026 is the 21st annual assessment published by the World Economic Forum, drawing on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) of leaders from government, business, academia, civil society and international organisations.
- It evaluates 33 global risks across 2-year (short-term) and 10-year (long-term) time horizons.
- Geo-economic confrontation ranks 1 risk in the 2-year horizon, defined as the use of trade, tariffs, sanctions, investment restrictions and resource controls as strategic tools.
- Extreme weather events fall from 2nd place (2025 report) to 4th place in the short-term risk ranking.
- Pollution drops from 6th to 9th place in the 2-year horizon, indicating reduced short-term salience.
- Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse and critical changes to Earth systems decline in short-term rankings but remain among the top risks in the 10-year horizon.
- Adverse outcomes of AI technologies rank 30th in the 2-year horizon but rise sharply to 5th place in the 10-year horizon.
- The survey reflects concern that weak governance of AI could affect jobs, social cohesion, mental health and security, including its use in warfare.
