Resilient Firms and Economies

The report argues that resilience is now a driver of growth rather than just a defensive strategy, particularly in emerging markets which account for nearly 60% of global GDP. While corporate preparedness has improved—with 29% of companies feeling ready across all resilience dimensions in 2025 compared to 16% in 2024—significant gaps remain. The document identifies four priority areas for public-private collaboration: strengthening infrastructure and supply chains, advancing digitalization and skills, closing the financing gap for SMEs, and creating enabling policies to reduce regulatory friction. It highlights the catalytic role of MDBs in mobilizing private capital and providing risk-sharing instruments to overcome systemic barriers in the Global South.

• Corporate resilience preparedness is increasing but remains low; only 29% of companies feel prepared across all resilience dimensions in 2025, up from 16% in 2024.
• Emerging markets face severe infrastructure investment shortfalls, with the gap between needs and expected spending projected to reach $15 trillion by 2030.
• Climate-related disasters caused approximately $320 billion in global damages in 2024, contributing to the necessity of resilience as a precondition for growth.
• Financial resilience is the strongest dimension for organizations, with 40% reporting readiness, while organizational resilience is less developed at 23%.
• Public-private collaboration faces significant hurdles, with 94% of respondents reporting challenges in engaging with MDBs, primarily due to misaligned objectives (37%) and regulatory constraints (32%).
• Macroeconomic instability is the primary driver of limited capital availability and high borrowing costs in emerging markets, cited by 81% of respondents.
• There is widespread ambiguity in industrial policies, with 82% of global respondents reporting a lack of clarity or predictability in their country's policies.
• Skills shortages are a critical barrier to digital transformation, with 63% of employers globally citing them as the primary obstacle.
• Regional strengths vary: Africa shows high preparedness in digital and technological resilience due to mobile technology adoption, while Latin America excels in societal alignment and purpose.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Resilient Firms and Economies. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Resilient_Firms_and_Economies_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Resilient Firms and Economies. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Resilient_Firms_and_Economies_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Resilient Firms and Economies |date=December 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Resilient_Firms_and_Economies_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025resilient, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Resilient Firms and Economies}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Resilient_Firms_and_Economies_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }