The World's Biggest Risks - Today vs. Next Decade

From US-China Tensions to Conflict in the Middle East, Geopolitical Instability Is on the Rise.

These Pressures Are Reshaping Global Risk Priorities, Both in the Short and Long Term, According to Visualcapitalist.com, Which Not Only Are They Putting Pressure on Trade, Investment, and Supply Chains, But They Are Rewriting National Security Strategies.

The cited source presents the top global risks both now and in a decade, based on the 2026 Global Risks Report, released by the World Economic Forum, which surveyed over 1,300 experts and policymakers worldwide.

• The biggest short-term risks

According to the report, the biggest risk facing the global economy over the next two years is geoeconomic confrontation. This has risen to first place in the ranking from ninth place last year. The next risks are disinformation and societal polarization. Disinformation intersects with the risks generated by the negative outcomes of artificial intelligence technologies, and as artificial intelligence agents become better at imitating human behavior, they can increasingly be used to shape - or distort - public opinion. As for societal polarization, it further threatens democratic stability. In the US, for example, 11% of the population identified as far-right in 2025, while 9% were far-left, according to the aforementioned source. In addition, many European countries showed higher degrees of polarization.

Next in the ranking of current risks are extreme weather events, armed conflicts between states, cyber insecurity, inequality, erosion of human rights and/or civil liberties, pollution, migration or involuntary displacement.

• The biggest global risks in the next decade

According to the cited source, extreme weather events represent the most severe risk in the next ten years. In 2025 alone, the US faced 23 billion-dollar disasters, causing a total of $115 billion in damages. From droughts and wildfires to floods and heat waves, extreme weather events displaced millions of people around the world last year.

Overall, five of the top ten long-term global risks are environmental. The 2nd to 10th places in the ranking are as follows: biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; critical land system change; disinformation; negative effects of artificial intelligence technologies; scarcity of natural resources; inequality; cyber insecurity; societal polarization; pollution.

• UBS: Billionaires' top fears in 2026 - trade and geopolitics

Trade tensions, geopolitics and political uncertainty top the list of risks worrying billionaires in 2026, according to a survey by Swiss bank UBS. Trade tariffs rank first overall, mentioned by 66% of respondents. Geopolitical conflicts are a close second, with 63% of billionaires citing fears of war, regional instability and rivalry between great powers. Political uncertainty is the third biggest concern, reported by 59% of respondents. Meanwhile, 44% of billionaires remain concerned about higher inflation, indicating that price stability is not yet a given after years of high inflation in major economies. This is followed by fears of a debt crisis (34%), higher taxes (28%), a global recession (27%), high interest rates (19%), supply chain disruptions (19%), and a financial market crisis (16%).

Interestingly, technological disruptions (15%) and climate change (14%) appear lower on the list of fears, suggesting that billionaires may view them as long-term challenges or more manageable than immediate political and economic shocks. Higher energy costs are only a major concern for 8% of those surveyed, while a global health crisis is a major concern for 6%.