Global Risks Report

Global Risks Report
Title	Global Risks Report
Publisher	World Economic Forum
Genre	Risk management
Published	Annually since 2006
Country	Switzerland
Website	https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report

Global Risks Report. It is an annual publication by the World Economic Forum, developed in collaboration with strategic partners including Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group. The report identifies and analyzes the most significant global risks over the short and long term, drawing on insights from the World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey. It serves as a foundational document for discussions at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos.

Overview

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of interconnected global threats, spanning economics, geopolitics, technology, society, and the environment. It is designed to inform leaders in government, business, and civil society about evolving risk landscapes. The analysis often highlights systemic risks, where a failure in one area, such as climate change, can cascade into others, like food security or political instability. Each edition frames its findings around a core theme, such as digital inequality or polycrisis.

Methodology

The core of the methodology is the World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey, which gathers perspectives from over 1,200 experts across academia, business, government, and international organizations. Respondents assess risks based on their perceived likelihood and impact over one and ten-year horizons. This data is supplemented by workshops, interviews, and collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Councils. Partners like Marsh McLennan and the Zurich Insurance Group contribute analytical expertise in risk modeling and insurance underwriting.

Key risk categories

Risks are structured into five primary categories: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal, and technological. Persistent environmental risks include biodiversity loss, climate change, and natural disasters. Geopolitical risks often feature interstate conflict, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber warfare. Economic categories cover asset bubbles, inflation, and debt crises, while societal risks encompass infectious diseases, disinformation, and social polarization. Technological risks highlight concerns over artificial intelligence, cyberattacks, and surveillance.

Historical trends and editions

Early editions, following the 2007–2008 financial crisis, focused heavily on fiscal crises and asset price collapse. The 2010s saw increasing emphasis on water crises and extreme weather events. The COVID-19 pandemic was a pivotal focus, with the 2021 report highlighting livelihood crises and digital inequality. More recent editions, such as the 2023 and 2024 reports, have framed risks through the lens of polycrisis and artificial intelligence, reflecting the interplay between events like the war in Ukraine and global supply chain disruptions.

Impact and reception

The report significantly influences the agenda of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and shapes policy discussions among entities like the United Nations, G20, and International Monetary Fund. It is frequently cited in media outlets such as The Financial Times, BBC News, and The Economist. While praised for its broad scope and expert synthesis, some critics, including researchers from University of Oxford and Harvard University, have noted challenges in quantifying systemic risks and potential biases in its expert survey sample.

Related initiatives

The findings directly feed into other World Economic Forum projects, including the Global Competitiveness Report and the Regional Risks for Doing Business Report. It is conceptually aligned with assessments like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index. Collaborative initiatives such as the Climate Adaptation Summit and the Paris Agreement often reference its environmental risk analyses to bolster calls for coordinated action.

Category:World Economic Forum Category:Risk management Category:Annual reports