failure Climate action failure Infectious diseases Infectious diseases Human environmental damage Human environmental damage Extreme weather Extreme weather Biodiversity loss Biodiversity loss Livelihood crises Livelihood crises Cybersecurity failure Cybersecurity failure Digital power concentration Digital power concentration Natural resource crises Natural resource crises Social cohesion erosion Social cohesion erosion Interstate relations fracture Interstate relations fracture Debt crises Involuntary migration Involuntary migration Prolonged stagnation Digital inequality Digital inequality Resource geopolitization Resource geopolitization Asset bubble burst Asset bubble burst Interstate conflict Interstate conflict Youth disillusionment Youth disillusionment Geophysical disasters Geophysical disasters Social security collapse Social security collapse IT infrastructure breakdown IT infrastructure breakdown Public infrastructure failure Tech governance failure Tech governance failure Weapons of mass destruction Weapons of mass destruction Terrorist attacks Terrorist attacks Commodity shocks Commodity shocks Adverse tech Adverse tech Adverse tech advances advances advances Illicit economic activity Illicit economic activity Mental health deterioration Mental health deterioration Multilateralism collapse Multilateralism collapse Industry collapse Industry collapse State collapse State collapse Backlash against science Backlash against science Price instability Price instability The Global Risks Landscape 2021 How do survey respondents perceive the impact ↑ and likelihood → of global risks? Source: World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2020 Visible area 11 55 55 Methodology Survey respondents were asked to assess the likelihood of the individual global risk on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 representing a risk that is very unlikely to happen and 5 a risk that is very likely to occur over the course of the next ten years. They also assessed the impact of each global risk on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 representing a minimal impact and 5 a catastrophic impact. To ensure legibility, the names of the global risks are abbreviated. Risk categories Economic Environmental Geopolitical Societal Technological 2.5 2.5 33 3.5 3.5 44 Likelihood → 33 3.5 3.5 44 Impact → Average 3.28 Average 3.40 Climate action failure Climate action failure Infectious diseases Infectious diseases Human environmental damage Human environmental damage Extreme weather Extreme weather Biodiversity loss Biodiversity loss Livelihood crises Livelihood crises Cybersecurity failure Cybersecurity failure Digital power concentration Digital power concentration Natural resource crises Natural resource crises Social cohesion erosion Social cohesion erosion Interstate relations fracture Interstate relations fracture Debt crises Involuntary migration Involuntary migration Prolonged stagnation Digital inequality Digital inequality Resource geopolitization Resource geopolitization Asset bubble burst Asset bubble burst Interstate conflict Interstate conflict Youth disillusionment Youth disillusionment Geophysical disasters Geophysical disasters Social security collapse Social security collapse IT infrastructure breakdown IT infrastructure breakdown Public infrastructure failure Tech governance failure Tech governance failure Weapons of mass destruction Weapons of mass destruction Terrorist attacks Terrorist attacks Commodity shocks Commodity shocks Adverse tech Adverse tech advances Adverse tech advances advances Illicit economic activity Illicit economic activity Mental health deterioration Mental health deterioration Multilateralism collapse Multilateralism collapse Industry collapse Industry collapse State collapse State collapse Backlash against science Backlash against science Price instability Price instability pe 2021 e impact ↑ and likelihood → of global risks? eption Survey 2020 ked to assess the likelihood of the individual 5, 1 representing a risk that is very unlikely to ery likely to occur over the course of the next ten he impact of each global risk on a scale of 1 to 5, pact and 5 a catastrophic impact. To ensure obal risks are abbreviated. Risk categories Economic Environmental Geopolitical Societal Technological 3.5 3.5 44 Average 3.28 Climate action failure Climate action failure Infectious diseases Infectious diseases Human environmental damage Human environmental damage Extreme weather Extreme weather Biodiversity loss Biodiversity loss Livelihood crises Livelihood crises Cybersecurity failure Cybersecurity failure Digital power concentration Digital power concentration Natural resource crises Natural resource crises Social cohesion erosion Social cohesion erosion Interstate relations fracture Interstate relations fracture Debt crises Involuntary migration Involuntary migration Prolonged stagnation Digital inequality Digital inequality Resource geopolitization Resource geopolitization Asset bubble burst Asset bubble burst e conflict e conflict Youth disillusionment Youth disillusionment Geophysical disasters Geophysical disasters Public infrastructure failure Tech governance failure Tech governance failure Terrorist attacks Terrorist attacks ech ech ech advances advances advances mic activity mic activity Mental health deterioration Mental health deterioration sm collapse sm collapse Methodology Survey