The January Global Risk Review Report delivers concise, strategic analysis of key geopolitical, economic and humanitarian developments shaping global stability. This edition highlights a world undergoing rapid and interconnected transformation. Traditional alliances are under strain; strategic ambiguity is rising and regional tensions—from Europe and the Middle East to South and Southeast Asia—continue to escalate amid weakening governance and contested legitimacy.
Key themes include a series of converging pressures in geopolitical and social dynamics, facing accelerating environmental and biological risks, as well as pandemic threats. Together, these themes underscore the systemic, interconnected nature of contemporary global risk and the need for integrated and forward looking approaches to resilience and strategic planning.
GLOBAL FRAGMENTATION
- The international system is shifting toward a multipolar, transactional environment marked by weakened alliances, selective rule-of-law application and rising strategic uncertainty
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE UNDER STRAIN
- Political paralysis, contested legitimacy and erosion of institutional norms are visible across multiple regions, increasing the risk of instability and protest-driven politics
EXTREMISM IS BECOMING NORMALISED
- Attacks on public spaces highlight growing vulnerability driven by social fragmentation, polarisation and declining trust in institutions.
- Harmful narratives and selective outrage are becoming mainstream, weakening social cohesion and increasing the likelihood of violence and exclusion.
SOCIAL MEDIA AS A RISK MULTIPLIER
- Disinformation and engagement-driven platforms intensify polarisation, undermine public trust and complicate security and crisis response
MORAL COLLAPSE, HUMAN CONSEQUENCES
- Civilian harm in conflict zones is increasingly abstracted and politicised, reducing accountability and ethical clarity in decision- making
HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL RISKS
- Climate extremes, ecological degradation and the resurgence of high-fatality pandemic threats expose fragile global preparedness systems
EUROPE’S UNITY UNDER STRAIN
- Debates over security, Ukraine and economic measures reveal unresolved tensions that will shape Europe’s strategic role and global trust
INTEGRATED RISK MANAGEMENT IS ESSENTIAL
- The convergence of geopolitical, societal, environmental and moral pressures demands systems-level, cross-sector responses rather than siloed approaches