The world is entering what global risk experts now call an “Age of Competition”. A period defined by less cooperation, shared rules, more by rivalry, fragmentation and constant disruption. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026, based on surveys of more than 1,300 global leaders, policymakers and experts, the risks facing humanity are no longer isolated shocks. They are entangled, cascading and increasingly personal.
From trade wars that raise food prices, to climate disasters that uproot families, to artificial intelligence reshaping jobs and trust, the global risk landscape is marked by what analysts describe as a “polycrisis”: multiple crises unfolding at once, each intensifying the others.
This is not just a story about governments and global summits. It is about households recalculating budgets, businesses rethinking supply chains, communities navigating division, and young people confronting a future shaped by volatility rather than certainty. It is a world tilting towards rivalry.
In the short term between now and 2028, geoeconomic confrontation stands out as the most immediate global threat. Nearly one in five respondents to the WEF survey ranked it as the risk most likely to trigger a worldwide crisis. Economic tools once reserved for trade negotiations are now being deployed as strategic weapons. Tariffs, sanctions, export controls, and investment restrictions are increasingly used to pressure rivals and even allies. The result is a global economy that feels less like a shared marketplace and more like a battlefield.
This means higher costs, disrupted supply chains and difficult decisions for businesses, about where to invest or withdraw. To families, it often translates into rising prices for everyday goods like food, fuel, electronics and fewer job opportunities in industries exposed to global trade. Small exporters and informal traders, particularly in developing economies, are among the most vulnerable. When major powers clash, the shockwaves often hit those with the least protection first.
Misinformation, trust and the fracturing of society; alongside economic rivalry, misinformation and disinformation rank among the top three short-term global risks. Advances in artificial intelligence have made it easier to create deepfakes, manipulate images and videos, and spread false narratives at unprecedented speed and scale.
The consequences go beyond online confusion. Elections are increasingly contested not only at the ballot box but also in digital spaces. Communities fracture as people lose trust in institutions, media and even one another. In many countries, the us-versus-them narratives, which are often framed as the-streets-versus-the-elites, are gaining ground.
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