Millennials fear catastrophic war: it’s time for the world to act on their concerns

A survey of over 16,000 millennials across 16 countries reveals significant pessimism, with 54% believing a nuclear attack is likely within the next decade and many fearing a third world war. While respondents identify corruption, unemployment, and poverty as chief concerns, there is strong support for the Geneva Conventions, though some respondents expressed views that conflict with international humanitarian law regarding torture and prisoner rights.

• A survey of more than 16,000 millennials aged 20 to 35 across 16 countries indicates high levels of pessimism regarding global conflict, with 54% of respondents believing a nuclear attack is likely in the next decade and a majority believing a third world war is likely in their lifetime.
• Beyond the threat of war, millennials identify poverty, unemployment, and corruption as their primary concerns, which the author notes aligns with the issues reported by communities currently affected by conflict.
• There is significant support for the limits of war, with 75% of all respondents and 80% of those in the U.S. stating that the Geneva Conventions should be adhered to in order to impose limits on war.
• The survey revealed concerning attitudes toward international humanitarian law: 37% of millennials believe torture is acceptable in some circumstances, and 36% believe captured enemy combatants should be denied contact with their relatives.
• The author argues that current conflicts in places such as South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are becoming more complex due to factors including unpredictable global power dynamics, increasing fragility, and climate change.

APA

Maurer, P. (2020). Millennials fear catastrophic war: it’s time for the world to act on their concerns. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/millennials-concerns-war-conflict-fear-survey/

Chicago

Maurer, Peter. Millennials fear catastrophic war: it’s time for the world to act on their concerns. World Economic Forum, 2020. https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/millennials-concerns-war-conflict-fear-survey/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Maurer |first1=Peter |title=Millennials fear catastrophic war: it’s time for the world to act on their concerns |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=20 January 2020 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/millennials-concerns-war-conflict-fear-survey/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{maurer2020millennials, author = {Maurer, Peter}, title = {{Millennials fear catastrophic war: it’s time for the world to act on their concerns}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2020}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/global-risks/millennials-concerns-war-conflict-fear-survey/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }