The GRPS asks respondents to categorize the overall outlook on a qualitative scale: “calm”, “stable”, “unsettled”, “turbulent” or “stormy”. While respondents indicate short-term concern about the global outlook, with 50% of respondents selecting either a turbulent or stormy outlook over the next two years, this worsens further towards 2036, with the figure rising to 57% for 2036 (Figure 20).A darkening outlook 1.4 Short-term (2 years) and long-term (10 years) global outlook FIGURE 20 “Which of the following best characterizes your outlook for the world over the following time periods?” Source World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2025-2026Note The percentages in the graph may not add up to 100% because values have been rounded up/down.Unsettled: Some instability, moderate risk of global catastrophesStormy: Global catastrophic risks loomingTurbulent: Upheavals and elevated risk of global catastrophesStable: Isolated disruptions, low risk of global catastrophesCalm: Negligible risk of global catastrophesShort term (2 years) Long term (10 years) 1% 9% 10% 40% 32% 42% 8% 38% 19% 1% Pessimism overall is on the rise in the shorter term. Respondents’ perception of the global outlook over the next two years has worsened compared with last year’s findings. The GRPS shows a 14 percentage-point increase in respondents selecting a turbulent or stormy outlook over the next two years compared with last year’s findings, reflecting heightened short-term concern. However, the long- term figure is five percentage points lower than it was last year, with a slight uptick in respondents selecting either a calm, stable or unsettled outlook compared with last year. This year, the survey also asked respondents about their outlook for the world by risk category: “societal”, “technological”, “economic”, “environmental” and “geopolitical”. Over the next two years, respondents are most concerned by geopolitical risks. When asked about the outlook for the world by risk category, close to two-thirds of respondents viewed the geopolitical outlook as turbulent or stormy (Figure 21). Conversely, technological risks have a relatively positive two- year outlook, with 32% of respondents selecting a calm or stable outlook. Over the next 10 years, most respondents are concerned with environmental risks, with close to three-quarters of those surveyed selecting either a turbulent or stormy outlook for this risk category (Figure 22). While nearly all risk categories decline in the 10-year time frame when it comes to those who select a relatively positive outlook, technological risks remain the relative outlier, with 18% of respondents expecting a calm or stable outlook. In four of the five risk categories for the two-year timeframe, a majority of respondents expect an unsettled outlook, with some instability and a moderate risk of global catastrophes. The exception is the geopolitical outlook, where a larger proportion (48%) select a turbulent outlook, with expected upheavals and an elevated risk of global catastrophes. For the 10-year period, the majority select a turbulent outlook for societal and geopolitical risks and a stormy one, with globally catastrophic risks looming, for environmental risks. The future is not a single, fixed path but a range of possible trajectories, each dependent on the decisions we make today as a global community. The challenges highlighted in the GRPS – spanning geopolitical shocks, rapid technological change, climate instability, economic uncertainty, and their collective impact on societies – underscore both the scale of the risks we face and our shared responsibility to shape the path ahead. By anticipating today what may come next, we can better prepare for tomorrow’s challenges. The next chapter explores in depth these themes and their interconnections for six topics, three across a two- year time horizon and three across a 10-year time horizon. Global Risks Report 2026 22