Global Risks Report 2026
At a glance
- World Economic Forum survey of over 1,300 global experts assesses risks across three timeframes: immediate (2026), short-to-medium (to 2028), and long-term (to 2036).
- Report analyses geopolitical and economic risks alongside environmental and systemic threats to support decision-makers balancing current crises with longer-term strategic priorities.
- Six in-depth thematic analyses explore risk interconnections and implications across sectors, including travel, technology, and critical infrastructure resilience.
- Survey captures expert risk perceptions on a global scale, marking the 21st consecutive annual assessment of emerging threats to economies and societies.
What the report covers
The Global Risks Report 2026 is the 21st edition of the World Economic Forum's annual risk assessment. It draws on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), conducted among over 1,300 experts worldwide, to identify and analyse global risks across three timeframes: current/immediate (2026), short-to-medium (to 2028), and long-term (to 2036). The report explores risk interconnections through six thematic deep-dives and is designed to guide decision-makers in balancing immediate crises with longer-term strategic priorities.
Key findings
The report surveyed over 1,300 experts worldwide to capture global risk perceptions across three distinct timeframes. This broad expert sample underpins the report's analysis of risks spanning the immediate 2026 horizon, the short-to-medium term to 2028, and the longer-term outlook to 2036. The survey forms the foundation of Chapter 1's findings and supports comparison of risk rankings across these temporal horizons.
The report's structure balances urgent near-term concerns with emerging long-term threats through separate analytical frameworks. By examining risks across three timeframes rather than a single snapshot, the report enables decision-makers to prioritise current crises while maintaining strategic visibility of evolving systemic risks. This multi-horizon approach reflects the report's recognition that risk landscapes shift materially over a decade.
Beyond survey findings, the report includes six in-depth thematic analyses that explore the range of implications and interconnections between identified risks. These analyses move beyond isolated risk assessment to examine how risks interact and compound across sectors and geographies, providing stakeholder communities—including travel, technology, and infrastructure sectors—with integrated insight rather than siloed risk profiles.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Survey respondents | over 1,300 experts |
| Report edition number | 21st |
| Risk assessment timeframes | 3 |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
DMOs must understand how global risks—particularly geopolitical, economic, and environmental threats—affect visitor flows, travel demand patterns, and destination resilience. The report's multi-horizon framework helps destinations prioritise climate adaptation and infrastructure resilience investments while managing immediate crisis response, directly influencing marketing strategies, visitor targeting, and long-term competitiveness.
Hotels & hospitality
Hoteliers face operational risks from geopolitical instability, economic volatility, and climate-related disruptions that affect occupancy, revenue, and supply chains. The report's thematic interconnection analyses help operators understand compounding risks—how economic stress amplifies climate impacts, for instance—enabling more robust business continuity and investment planning across near-term and strategic timescales.
Travel tech & distribution
Travel-tech platforms must anticipate how global risks reshape booking patterns, payment systems, and travel behaviour. The report's expert-led risk framework helps technology providers identify emerging threats to infrastructure, cybersecurity, and market access, informing product roadmaps, compliance strategies, and investment priorities in a volatile geopolitical environment.
Methodology and limits
The Global Risks Report 2026 is based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS), which gathered insights from over 1,300 experts worldwide. The survey captures expert judgements on risks across three timeframes: immediate (2026), short-to-medium (to 2028), and long-term (to 2036). The report complements survey findings with six in-depth thematic analyses examining risk interconnections. This brief is based on the publicly available summary page; the full report analysis is available via PDF download and online reader.
Official source
The report is © World Economic Forum. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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