Introduction: The state of global cooperation Within a turbulent global context, cooperation is flatlining. Global cooperation overall and by pillar FIGURE 2 Health and wellnessTrade and capital Innovation and technologyClimate and natural capital Peace and securityOverallOverall 0.70.80.91.01.11.2 2016 2017 2018 2019 2012 2013 2014 2015 2020 2021 2022 2023Global Cooperation Barometer over time Source: Aggregation of 41 metrics, McKinsey & Company analysis.Global cooperation is above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, but only barely, and has stagnated since 2020. The flatlining of cooperation comes as the world is entering a state of greater instability caused by high levels of electoral discontent and geopolitical rivalry. The last year saw elections in 72 countries, with many incumbent governments, both left and right facing strong voter backlash. The common message among electorates has been for change to the status quo. At the same time, global tensions have risen, threatening to undermine prior patterns of multilateral cooperation. A “purgatory of polarity”, as the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres termed it – in which global divisions widen and harden – is most stark when it comes to the degradation of security around the world.5 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is approaching the three-year mark, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East have taken the lives of tens of thousands and the war in Sudan is creating a humanitarian crisis. All told, it is estimated that 122 million people worldwide are currently forcibly displaced, double the number from a decade ago.6 The inability of the international community to come together to prevent or stop this escalation of violence is the most serious concern about the state of the global cooperative muscle. The concern with a stalled level of cooperation is that as the world enters the second half of the decade, with critical global deadlines ahead, progress is not where it needs to be. For instance, just 17% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track to meet the 2030 deadline.7 Furthermore, as many communities have experienced, global temperatures have risen to record levels, with 2024 being the hottest year on record.8 Additionally, global economic growth is projected to be at historically The Global Cooperation Barometer 2025 Second Edition 7