Global Risks 2026: 5 Hard Truths 1,300 Experts Fear Most in the Age of Competition
- Alpesh Patel
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
Introduction: Navigating the Age of Competition
In a world defined by constant disruption, separating meaningful signals from daily noise has never been harder.
To cut through that uncertainty, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026 brings together insights from more than 1,300 global experts across government, business, academia and civil society.
The findings paint a sobering picture. The global system has entered what the report describes as an “Age of Competition” - a period where economic power, technology, information and resources are increasingly weaponised.
This article distils the report into five critical truths about Global Risks 2026 that investors, professionals and policymakers can no longer afford to ignore.
Global Risks 2026 Are Being Redefined by Economic Warfare
Why Geo-economic Confrontation Is Now the #1 Threat
For the first time, Geo-economic Confrontation ranks as the most severe global risk over the next two years. It has surged eight places to claim the top spot, overtaking even traditional military conflict.
According to the report, trade, finance and technology are no longer neutral tools of cooperation - they are now strategic weapons. Tariffs, sanctions, investment restrictions and supply-chain controls are reshaping global power dynamics.
What’s most striking is that experts now view economic conflict as more likely to trigger a global crisis than armed warfare. The interconnected global economy, once a stabilising force, is increasingly becoming the battlefield itself. Navigating_the_Precipice
Short-Term Chaos Is Distracting Us From Long-Term Climate Collapse
In the short term, environmental risks are being pushed down the priority list. Extreme weather, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse have all fallen sharply in the two-year risk rankings.
Yet this is dangerously misleading.
Climate Risks Still Dominate the Long-Term Global Outlook
Over a 10-year horizon, environmental threats reclaim dominance. Extreme weather events rank #1, and half of the top 10 long-term risks are environmental.
This creates a dangerous paradox:
Immediate crises dominate attention
Existential climate risks quietly intensify
The report describes this as a growing “risk debt” - problems deferred today that will compound tomorrow.
The Biggest AI Risk Today Isn’t Intelligence; It’s Misinformation
Why Misinformation Ranks Higher Than AI Itself (For Now)
Over the next two years, Misinformation and Disinformation rank as the second most severe global risk.
By contrast, Adverse Outcomes of AI technologies sit far lower in the short term.
The danger isn’t futuristic super-intelligence it’s today’s AI being used to manipulate truth, deepen societal polarisation and erode trust in institutions.
AI Becomes a Top-5 Global Risk Within a Decade
Looking ahead 10 years, AI-related risks make the single sharpest jump of any category, rising from #30 to #5.
This signals a delayed but profound threat as AI systems scale faster than governance, ethics and public understanding.
Inequality Is the Hidden Engine Behind Every Major Global Risk
For the second consecutive year, Inequality is identified as the most interconnected global risk.
Inequality as a Crisis Multiplier
Rather than acting alone, inequality fuels:
Societal polarisation
Economic downturns
Political instability
Misinformation spread
By weakening trust between citizens and institutions, inequality becomes the invisible thread linking multiple crises.
This insight is crucial: no global risk strategy succeeds without addressing inequality first.
Pessimism Has Become the Global Baseline
The expert outlook is increasingly bleak.
50% expect a turbulent or stormy world over the next two years
57% expect instability over the next decade
Only 1% anticipate a calm future
This isn’t abstract fear it’s a measurable collapse in confidence among those closest to global decision-making.
Conclusion: Global Risks 2026 Are a Choice, Not a Fate
The Global Risks 2026 outlook reveals a world pulled in opposing directions:
Short-term survival vs long-term sustainability
Technological progress vs social cohesion
Economic competition vs global cooperation
The report makes one thing clear: these are not fixed outcomes.
As the World Economic Forum notes, the future is shaped by collective decisions made today. The risks are interconnected but so are the solutions.
The real question is no longer what the risks are.It is where we choose to act first.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment or legal advice. Views are based on publicly available data from the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2026 and do not represent specific recommendations. Alpesh Patel OBE