The Global Risks Report 2024

The Global Risks Report 2024 identifies extreme weather and AI-generated misinformation as the most immediate global threats. Over the next decade, the landscape is expected to deteriorate, with environmental risks and adverse AI outcomes dominating. The report highlights a transition toward a multipolar world where fragmented cooperation hinders the management of systemic risks, including climate tipping points and economic instability in vulnerable nations.

• Extreme weather is perceived as the most immediate global risk for 2024, with two-thirds of survey respondents ranking it as the top threat.
• The global outlook is predominantly negative and expected to worsen over the next decade, with 63% of respondents predicting a stormy or turbulent environment.
• Environmental risks are expected to dominate the 10-year horizon, with biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse showing the most significant increase in perceived severity.
• There is a high risk of passing at least one climate tipping point within the next decade, potentially leading to a 3°C world with irreversible changes to planetary systems.
• The rapid development of AI technologies is expected to lead to significant adverse outcomes over the next decade, including market concentration and risks to global security.
• AI integration into military decision-making and nuclear weaponry could significantly increase the risk of accidental or intentional escalation.
• Economic uncertainty is rising, with inflation and economic downturn entering the top 10 risks for the two-year horizon, particularly affecting small- and medium-sized enterprises and indebted countries.
• A 'demographic bifurcation' is occurring, where ageing populations in most countries contrast with a youth bulge in Africa, where young people are expected to make up 42% of global youth by 2030.
• Interstate armed conflict has returned to the top 10 short-term risks, with high-stakes hotspots in Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan threatening global stability.
• Organized crime is expected to globalize and exploit state fragility, utilizing new technologies to diversify illicit funding and expand into new markets.
• The 'digital gap' in AI access may create a new set of winners and losers, potentially leaving the Global South digitally isolated from productivity breakthroughs.

APA

World Economic Forum (2024). The Global Risks Report 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2024.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. The Global Risks Report 2024. 2024. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2024.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=The Global Risks Report 2024 |date=January 2024 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2024.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2024global, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{The Global Risks Report 2024}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_Global_Risks_Report_2024.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }