A new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) reveals that over 50% of global experts are pessimistic about the outlook for the world in the next two years, citing concerns over misinformation and extreme weather events as primary risks.
The Global Risks Report 2025, which incorporates insights from Marsh McLennan and Zurich Insurance Group, draws from the Global Risks Perception Survey 2024 to 2025. It presents a grim outlook across several domains, including geopolitical, environmental, societal, economic, and technological risks.
The report highlights that misinformation and disinformation are regarded as the most pressing issues for the immediate future, followed closely by extreme weather events, state-based armed conflicts, societal polarization, and cyber espionage and warfare.
Looking further ahead, experts are most concerned about environmental challenges over the next decade. Key risks include extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, critical shifts in Earth’s systems, and shortages of natural resources.
The report notes a significant rise in negative sentiment, with nearly a third (31%) of respondents anticipating turbulence in the coming years. Only 5% predict stormy conditions, marking a four-percentage-point increase in pessimism compared to the previous year.
For the long-term, the outlook grows even more concerning. By 2035, 62% of experts expect continued or worsening instability. This sustained pessimism underscores a growing lack of confidence in the ability of societal institutions and governments to effectively address these global challenges.
The Global Risks Report 2025 examines risks over three distinct timeframes: immediate (2025), short- to medium-term (up to 2027), and long-term (up to 2035). The analysis includes six in-depth studies on the most critical risk themes facing the world today.
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