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Ranked: The World’s Biggest Risks Today vs. in 10 Years
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Key Takeaways
- Geoeconomic confrontation is the most pressing short-term global risk, according to a World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2026, a survey of more than 1,300 experts.
- Extreme weather is expected to be the top global risk over the next decade, as climate disasters grow more frequent and severe.
From U.S.–China tensions to conflict in the Middle East, geopolitical instability is rising.
These pressures are reshaping global risk priorities across both the short and long term. Not only are they straining trade, investment, and supply chains, they are rewriting national security strategies.
This graphic shows the leading global risks both now and in 10 years, based on the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 which surveys more than 1,300 global experts and policymakers.
Ranked: The Top 10 Short-Term Risks
According to the report, here are most severe risks facing the global economy in the next two years.
| Rank | Short-Term Risks (2 Years) | Risk Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geoeconomic confrontation | Geopolitical |
| 2 | Misinformation and disinformation | Technological |
| 3 | Societal polarization | Societal |
| 4 | Extreme weather events | Environmental |
| 5 | State-based armed conflict | Geopolitical |
| 6 | Cyber insecurity | Technological |
| 7 | Inequality | Societal |
| 8 | Erosion of human rights and/or civic freedoms | Societal |
| 9 | Pollution | Environmental |
| 10 | Involuntary migration or displacement | Societal |
Geoeconomic confrontation ranks as the top risk, jumping from ninth-spot last year.
Following next in line is misinformation and disinformation, which interconnects with risks including societal polarization and adverse outcomes of AI technologies. As AI agents become better at mimicking human behavior, they can increasingly be used to shape—or distort—public opinion.
Ranking in third is societal polarization, further threatening democratic stability. In the U.S., for instance, 11% of the population identified as far-right in 2025 while 9% were far-left. Additionally, several European countries showed even higher degrees of polarization.
The Biggest Global Risks in the Next Decade
As the table below shows, extreme weather events are the most severe risk over the next 10 years.
| Rank | Long-Term Risks (10-Years) | Risk Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extreme weather events | Environmental |
| 2 | Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse | Environmental |
| 3 | Critical change to Earth systems | Environmental |
| 4 | Misinformation and disinformation | Technological |
| 5 | Adverse outcomes of AI technologies | Technological |
| 6 | Natural resource shortages | Environmental |
| 7 | Inequality | Societal |
| 8 | Cyber insecurity | Technological |
| 9 | Societal polarization | Societal |
| 10 | Pollution | Environmental |
In 2025 alone, the U.S. saw 23 billion-dollar disasters, causing a combined $115 billion in damages. From droughts and wildfires to floods and heat waves, extreme weather displaced millions of people worldwide last year.
Overall, five of the top 10 long-term risks are environmental, including critical change to Earth systems and natural resource shortages.
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