The Largest Risks Faced by the World

Over the next 10 years, climate change and its consequences will pose the greatest risk to the world. That’s according to more than 900 global experts from academia, business and politics, who were asked to evaluate 33 global risks over a two-year and a 10-year horizon for the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks Report.

With inflation having eased in most parts of the world, the experts no longer consider the cost-of-living crisis one of the most pressing issue in the short-term. Instead, for the second year in a row, misinformation and disinformation is considered the most severe risk over the next two years. Following the "super election year" 2024, misinformation is still considered a major risk, as AI tools have facilitated the creation of false information, be it in the form of text, image or even video. It has the potential to further sow division, resulting in even more polarized societies, which are prone to radicalization and political unrest.

Looking at the 10-year horizon, misinformation is expected to remain a major threat, but the four most severe risks faced by the world are all predicted to be related to climate change over the coming decade. Climate change is no longer seen as a long-term problem only, however, as this year's report reveals a growing sense of alarm in the short term as well. Extreme weather events are rated as the second most severe risk for the present and the near future, marking a notable shift from past editions of the report.

The following chart nicely illustrates the difference between what experts consider short-term risks and which challenges will shape the world for years or even decades to come. In conclusion, the 20th edition of the WEF’s Global Risks Report finds "an increasingly fractured global landscape, where escalating geopolitical, environmental, societal and technological challenges threaten stability and progress."