Global Risks Report 2025

issues, with younger survey respondents being more concerned about this over the next 10 years than older age groups. Take Pollution, for example, which the under 30s rank as the #3 most severe risk in 2035, the highest of any age group surveyed. As noted in last year’s Global Risks Report, there is also divergence in how Pollution is ranked by stakeholder, with the public sector placing Pollution as a top 10 risk in the 10-year ranking, but not the private sector (Figure 2.4). Section 2.3: Pollution at a crossroads aims to fill awareness gaps by exploring under-appreciated pollutant risks that need to become more prominent in policy agendas by 2035 – and ideally much sooner given their significant impacts on health and ecosystems. Technological risks - still “under the radar” In a year that has seen considerable experimentation by companies and individuals in making the best use of AI tools, concerns about Adverse outcomes of AI technologies are low in the risk ranking on a two-year outlook. However, complacency around the risks of such technologies should be avoided given the fast-paced nature of change in the field of AI and its increasing ubiquity. Indeed, Adverse outcomes of AI technologies is one of the risks that climbs the most in the 10-year risk ranking compared to the two-year risk ranking (Figure G). In this report we highlight the role of Generative AI (GenAI) in producing false or misleading content at scale, and how that relates to societal polarization. Section 1.5: Technology and polarization explores this and the broader risks from greater connectivity, rapid growth in computing power and more powerful AI tools. Among the areas experiencing the most rapid technological advances is the Biotech sector. Section 2.4: Losing control of biotech? takes an in-depth look at emerging risks in biotech, supercharged by AI. Over a 10-year time horizon, low-probability, high-impact risks exist, including Intrastate violence from biological terrorism and Adverse outcomes of frontier technologies involving accidental or malicious misuse of gene editing technologies, or even of brain-computer interfaces. At the same time, such risks do not Short-term severity (2 years)Long-term severity (10 years) 3.544.555.56 2.5117 7 3 3.5 4 4.5 5.5 5Visible area Risk categories Economic Environmental Geopolitical Societal Technological Deteriorating risksRelative severity of global risks over a 2- and 10-year period FIGURE E Source World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2024-2025.Note Severity was assessed on a 1-7 Likert scale [1 = Low severity, 7 = High severity].Adverse outcomes of AI technologies Adverse outcomes of frontier technologies Asset bubble burstsBiodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons or hazardsCensorship and surveillanceConcentration of strategic resources Crime and illicit economic activityCritical change to Earth systems Cyber espionage and warfare Debt Decline in health and well-beingDisruptions to a systemically important supply chainDisruptions to critical infrastructure Economic downturnErosion of human rights and/or of civic freedomsExtreme weather events Geoeconomic confrontationInequality Infectious diseases InflationInsufficient public infrastructure and social protections Intrastate violenceInvoluntary migration or displacement Lack of economic opportunity or unemploymentMisinformation and disinformation Natural resource shortages Non-weather related natural disastersOnline harmsPollutionSocietal polarization State-based armed conflict Talent and/or labour shortages Adverse outcomes of AI technologies Adverse outcomes of frontier technologies Asset bubble bursts Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse Biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons or hazards Censorship and surveillance Concentration of strategic resources Crime and illicit economic activity Critical change to Earth systems Cyber espionage and warfare Debt Decline in health and well-being Disruptions to a systemically important supply chain Disruptions to critical infrastructure Economic downturn Erosion of human rights and/or of civic freedoms Extreme weather events Geoeconomic confrontation Inequality Infectious diseases Inflation Insufficient public infrastructure and social protections Intrastate violence Involuntary migration or displacement Lack of economic opportunity or unemployment Misinformation and disinformation Natural resource shortages Non-weather related natural disasters Online harms Pollution Societal polarization State-based armed conflict Talent and/or labour shortages Global Risks Report 2025 10