Key findings The Global Risks Report 2026, the 21st edition of this annual report, marks the second half of a turbulent decade. The report analyses global risks through three timeframes to support decision- makers in balancing current crises and longer-term priorities. Chapter 1 presents the findings of this year’s Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), which captures insights from over 1,300 experts worldwide. It explores risks in the current or immediate term (in 2026), the short-to-medium term (to 2028) and in the long term (to 2036). Chapter 2 explores the range of implications of these risks and their interconnections, through six in-depth analyses of selected themes. Below are the key findings of the report, in which we compare the risk outlooks across the three-time horizons. Uncertainty is the defining theme of the global risks outlook in 2026. GRPS respondents viewed both the short- and long-term global outlook negatively, with 50% of respondents anticipating either a turbulent or stormy outlook over the next two years, deteriorating to 57% of respondents over the next 10 years (Figure 1). A further 40% and 32%, respectively, view the global outlook as unsettled over the two- and 10-year time frames, with only 1% anticipating a calm outlook across each time horizon. As global risks continue to spiral in scale, interconnectivity and velocity, 2026 marks an age of competition. As cooperative mechanisms crumble, with governments retreating from multilateral frameworks, stability is under siege. A contested multipolar landscape is emerging where confrontation is replacing collaboration, and trust – the currency of cooperation – is losing its value. This year’s GRPS findings show heightened short- term concerns compared to last year, with a 14 percentage-point increase in respondents selecting a turbulent or stormy outlook over the next two years. By contrast, compared with last year, there is a five percentage-point improvement over the next 10 years in those two categories (from 62% last year to 57% this year), with a slight uptick in respondents selecting either a calm or stable outlook (up three percentage points) or an unsettled outlook (up two percentage points). Multilateralism is in retreat The multilateral system is under pressure. Declining trust, diminishing transparency and respect for the rule of law, along with heightened protectionism, are threatening longstanding international relations, trade and investment and increasing the propensity for conflict. Geoeconomic confrontation is top of mind for respondents and was selected as the top risk most likely to trigger a material global crisis in 2026 by 18% of respondents, increasing two positions from last year (Figure 2). This is followed by State-based armed conflict, selected by a further 14% of respondents. 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.Short-term (2 years) and long-term (10 years) global outlook FIGURE 1 Unsettled: Some instability, moderate risk of global catastrophes“Which of the following best characterizes your outlook for the world over the following time periods?” Stormy: 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% Global Risks Report 2026 7