According to information from the World Economic Forum’s annual survey of world leaders, 2024 will be the world’s biggest election year and will have severe geopolitical threats, with extreme weather being the most severe threat.
A cost-of-living problem is making life more difficult for people worldwide, record global temperatures are having increasingly negative effects, and rising tensions in the Middle East might spark a wider regional conflict.
In contrast, 2024 is predicted to be the most populous election year in history, with 4 billion voters scheduled to cast ballots in 60 different countries. When voters head to the polls, will dangers like disinformation and polarization be prominent?
The picture below, which displays the largest risks for 2024, was made by Dorthy Neufeld of Visual Capitalist. It is based on the World Economic Forum’s annual survey of world leaders.
Global Risk Profile in 2024
The top 20 threats to the world economy are listed below, according to a poll of 1,490 leaders.
The following risks, up to five in number, were asked to be selected by leaders as those most likely to cause a major global catastrophe by 2024:
The largest danger, according to CEOs questioned, is extreme weather. In terms of severity during the following two years, it comes in second overall.
When severe weather strikes, economies around the world are often unprepared for the ensuing shocks to food systems and extensive infrastructural damage. If global temperatures continue to climb, some research indicates that the Earth may undergo potentially irreversible changes by the 2030s.
The international environment around the 2024 elections will be contentious and unstable, with 40 countries going for elections this year, including the USA, EU, and India.
The second-biggest risk is misinformation and deception, which can erode confidence and widen political rifts. Additionally, it could sabotage international elections that are scheduled in the United States, Russia, India, Mexico, and numerous other nations.
With the developments in AI-generated material, the issue of false information is particularly evident. In terms of total risk severity on the list, it comes at the top.
The possibility of polarization in society is linked to disinformation. Political divisions have grown more severe in the post-pandemic era, and this has been made worse by unfavorable economic conditions and a lack of employment opportunities.
Millions of people’s livelihoods are also being negatively impacted by the Middle East conflict, and the current incident in Lebanon raises concerns about the possibility of a wider battle breaking out. The eighth-highest and fifth-most danger to the world economy in 2024 is the escalation of interstate armed conflicts.
Future Global Risks
How will the world’s dangers change in the upcoming ten years?
According to a study of leaders, environmental threats will be the most alarming by 2034. These concerns rank five out of the top ten risks in terms of severity:
Disinformation dangers and unfavorable AI technology effects are still major concerns in technology.
Due to its position as a “force multiplier,” or anything that can amplify the impact of a nation’s military systems, data analytics, and other capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be extremely destabilizing to society and bring potentially existential concerns.
Looking ahead, major structural dynamics are shaping global risks from a larger viewpoint. These include changes in geopolitical power dynamics, acceleration of technology, acceleration of climate change, and growing demographic disparities.
