These Are the Biggest Global Risks for 2017
If you go outdoors you could get hit by lethal hurricanes, floods, tremors and terrorists. Stay inside huddled over your computer and you could lose your data and your identity. And, in the minds of some, there’s no point in going to work: An immigrant has already taken your job.
Those are the top picks for the mostly likely global threats of 2017, according to a World Economic Forum survey of about 750 experts. In years gone by, economic risks dominated the responses, especially in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the height of the financial crisis. But for the past two years, environmental and societal threats have risen to the top.
Recurring Risks
Economic
Geopolitical
Environmental
Societal
Technological
2015
2017
2016
Involuntary migration
Interstate conflict
Extreme weather
Extreme weather
Extreme weather
Involuntary migration
Failed national governance
Major natural catastrophe
Failed climate change mitigation
State collapse or crisis
Large terrorist attacks
Interstate conflict
Major natural catastrophe
Unemployment & underemployment
Massive data fraud/theft
2014
2013
2012
Income disparity
Income disparity
Income disparity
Extreme weather
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Unemployment & underemployment
Rising greenhouse gas emisions
Rising greenhouse gas emissions
Climate change
Water supply crises
Cyber attacks
Cyber attacks
Aging population mismanagement
Water supply crises
2010
2011
2009
Asset price collapse
Storms and cyclones
Asset price collapse
Flooding
Slowing Chinese economy
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Corruption
Chronic disease
Fiscal crises
Global governance gaps
Biodiversity loss
Global governance gaps
Retrenchment from globalization
Climate change
2008
2007
Asset price collapse
Information infrastructure breakdown
Middle East instability
Chronic disease
Failed/failing states
Oil and gas price spike
Oil and gas price spike
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Asset price collapse
Economic
Geopolitical
Environmental
Societal
Technological
2017
Extreme weather
Involuntary migration
Major natural catastrophe
Large terrorist attacks
Massive data fraud/theft
2016
Involuntary migration
Extreme weather
Failed climate change mitigation
Interstate conflict
Major natural catastrophe
2015
Interstate conflict
Extreme weather
Failed national governance
State collapse or crisis
Unemployment & underemployment
2014
Income disparity
Extreme weather
Unemployment & underemployment
Climate change
Cyber attacks
2013
Income disparity
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Rising greenhouse gas emisions
Water supply crises
Aging population mismanagement
2012
Income disparity
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Rising greenhouse gas emissions
Cyber attacks
Water supply crises
2011
Storms and cyclones
Flooding
Corruption
Biodiversity loss
Climate change
2010
Asset price collapse
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Fiscal crises
Global governance gaps
2009
Asset price collapse
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Global governance gaps
Retrenchment from globalization
2008
Asset price collapse
Middle East instability
Failed/failing states
Oil and gas price spike
Chronic disease
2007
Information infrastructure breakdown
Chronic disease
Oil and gas price spike
Slowing Chinese economy
Asset price collapse
Economic
Geopolitical
Environmental
Societal
Technological
2017
Extreme weather
Involuntary migration
Major natural catastrophe
Large terrorist attacks
Massive data fraud/theft
2016
Involuntary migration
Extreme weather
Failed climate change mitigation
Interstate conflict
Major natural catastrophe
2015
Interstate conflict
Extreme weather
Failed national governance
State collapse or crisis
Unemployment & underemployment
2014
Income disparity
Extreme weather
Unemployment & underemployment
Climate change
Cyber attacks
2013
Income disparity
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Rising greenhouse gas emisions
Water supply crises
Aging population mismanagement
2012
Income disparity
Chronic fiscal imbalances
Rising greenhouse gas emissions
Cyber attacks
Water supply crises
2011
Storms and cyclones
Flooding
Corruption
Biodiversity loss
Climate change
2010
Asset price collapse
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Fiscal crises
Global governance gaps
2009
Asset price collapse
Slowing Chinese economy
Chronic disease
Global governance gaps
Retrenchment from globalization
2008
Asset price collapse
Middle East instability
Failed/failing states
Oil and gas price spike
Chronic disease
2007
Information infrastructure breakdown
Chronic disease
Oil and gas price spike
Slowing Chinese economy
Asset price collapse
Devastating hurricanes and earthquakes have shown they can disrupt major economies from the U.S. to China and Japan. Last year, Hurricane Matthew killed hundreds of people in Haiti, while Typhoon Meranti cut a swathe through the Philippines, Taiwan and China, causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage.
The No. 2 concern, large-scale involuntary migration, is a reflection of the large volumes of immigrants and refugees fleeing war-torn Syria into neighboring nations in the Middle East, as well as Europe. Terrorist attacks in Orlando, Brussels, Nice, Berlin and Istanbul helped place that risk in fourth place. And in fifth, in a reflection of widespread hacking by Russia and other cyber invaders, is the threat of data threat or fraud.
For more on Davos, see our special report on the World Economic Forum 2017