The Global Risks
Report 2017
12th Edition
Insight Report
World Economic Forum
91-93 route de la Capite
CH-1223 Cologny/Geneva
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0) 22 869 1212
Fax: +41 (0) 22 786 2744
contact@weforum
weforum
The Global Risks Report 2017, 12thEdition is
published by the World Economic Forum within
the framework of The Global Competitiveness
and Risks Team.
The information in this report, or on which
this report is based, has been obtained from
sources that the authors believe to be reliable
and accurate. However, it has not been
independently verifed and no representation or
warranty, express or implied, is made as to the
accuracy or completeness of any information
obtained from third parties. In addition, the
statements in this report may provide current
expectations of future events based on certain
assumptions and include any statement that
does not directly relate to a historical fact
or a current fact. These statements involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors which are not exhaustive. The
companies contributing to this report operate
in a continually changing environment and
new risks emerge continually. Readers are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these
statements. The companies contributing to this
report undertake no obligation to publicly revise
or update any statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events or otherwise
and they shall in no event be liable for any loss or
damage arising in connection with the use of the
information in this report.
World Economic Forum
Geneva
World Economic Forum
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or
otherwise without the prior permission of the
World Economic Forum.
ISBN: 978-1-944835-07-1
REF:050117
The report and an interactive data platform are
available at http://wef.ch/risks2017
Figure 1: The Risks-Trends Interconnections Map
Source: World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2016
Note: Survey respondents were asked to select the three trends that are the most important in shaping global development in the next 10 years. For each of the three trends
identifed, respondents were asked to select the risks that are most strongly driven by those trends. The global risks with the most connections to trends are spelled out in the
fgure. See Appendix B for more details. To ensure legibility, the names of the global risks are abbreviated; see Appendix A for the full name and description
Fi
gu
re: T
he
E
vo
lvi
ng
R
isk
s L
an
ds
ca
pe
, 2
00
7-
20Brea
kdow
n of
critic
al in
form
ation
infra
struc
ture
Brea
kdo
wn o
f cri
tica
l inf
orm
atio
n in
fras
truc
ture
2002002012012012011st
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Fis
cal
cri
ses
Ma
jor
sys
tem
ic
fina
nci
al f
ailu
re
Ma
jor
sys
tem
ic
fina
nci
al f
ailu
re
2nd
Ret
ren
chm
ent
from
glo
bal
izat
ion
(de
velo
ped
)
Ret
ren
chm
ent
from
glo
bal
izat
ion
(de
velo
ped
)
Ret
ren
chm
ent
from
glo
bal
izat
ion
(de
velo
ped
)
Clim
ate
ch
ang
e
Wa
ter
sup
ply
cris
es
Wa
ter
sup
ply
cris
es
3rd
Slo
win
g C
hin
ese
eco
nom
y (<
6%
)
Oil
and
ga
s
pric
e s
pik
e
Oil
pric
e s
pik
es
Ge
opo
litic
al
con
flic
t
Foo
d s
hor
tag
e
cris
es
4th
Oil
and
ga
s
pric
e s
pik
e
Chr
oni
c d
isea
se
Chr
oni
c d
isea
se
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
imb
ala
nce
s
5th
Pan
dem
ics
Fis
cal
cri
ses
Fis
cal
cri
ses
Ext
rem
e e
ner
gy
pric
e v
ola
tilit
y
Ext
rem
e v
ola
tilit
y
in e
ner
gy
and
agr
icu
ltur
e p
rice
s
Diff
usi
on
of
we
apo
ns
of m
ass
des
truc
tion
Ec
on
om
ic
En
vir
on
me
nta
l
Ge
op
oli
tic
al
So
cie
tal
Te
ch
no
log
ica
l
Fai
lure
of
clim
ate
-
cha
nge
mi
tiga
tion
and
ad
apt
atio
n
Brea
kdow
n of
critic
al in
form
ation
infra
struc
ture
Brea
kdo
wn o
f cri
tica
l inf
orm
atio
n in
fras
truc
ture
2002002012012012011st
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Ass
et p
rice
col
lap
se
Sto
rms
an
d
cyc
lon
es
Sev
ere
inc
om
e
dis
par
ity
Sev
ere
inc
om
e
dis
par
ity
2nd
Mid
dle
Ea
st
ins
tab
ility
Slo
win
g C
hin
ese
eco
nom
y (<
6%
)
Slo
win
g C
hin
ese
eco
nom
y (<
6%
)
Flo
odi
ng
Ch
ron
ic f
isc
al
imb
ala
nce
s
Ch
ron
ic f
isc
al
imb
ala
nce
s
Ch
ron
ic f
isc
al
imb
ala
nce
s
3rd
Fai
led
an
d fa
iling
sta
tes
Chr
oni
c d
isea
se
Chr
oni
c d
isea
se
Co
rrup
tion
Ris
ing
gre
enh
ous
e
gas
em
issi
ons
Ris
ing
gre
enh
ous
e
gas
em
issi
ons
4th
Oil
and
ga
s p
rice
spi
ke
Glo
bal
go
ver
nan
ce
gap
s
Fis
cal
cri
ses
Bio
div
ers
ity
los
s
Cyb
er a
ttac
ks
Wa
ter
sup
ply
cris
es
5th
Chr
oni
c d
isea
se,
dev
elo
ped
wo
rld
Ret
ren
chm
ent
from
glo
bal
izat
ion
(em
erg
ing
)
Glo
bal
go
ver
nan
ce
gap
s
Clim
ate
ch
ang
e
Wa
ter
sup
ply
cris
es
Mis
ma
nag
em
ent
of p
opu
lati
on
age
ing
201Fis
cal
cri
ses
Clim
ate
ch
ang
e
andund
ere
mp
loy
me
nt
Crit
ica
l inf
orm
atio
n
infr
ast
ruc
ture
201Inc
om
e d
isp
arit
y
eve
nts
Un
em
plo
ym
ent
and
und
ere
mp
loy
me
nt
Clim
ate
ch
ang
e
Cyb
er a
ttac
ks
Ext
rem
e w
eat
her
Wa
ter
cris
es
Un
em
plo
ym
ent
bre
akd
ow
n
201Wa
ter
cris
es
Rap
id a
nd
ma
ssiv
e
spr
ead
of
infe
ctio
us
dis
eas
es
Fai
lure
of
clim
ate
-
cha
nge
mi
tiga
tion
and
ad
apt
atio
n
201Inte
rsta
te c
onf
lict
wit
h re
gio
nal
con
seq
uen
ces
Fai
lure
of
nat
ion
al
gov
ern
anc
e
Sta
te c
olla
pse
or
cris
is
Hig
h s
truc
tura
l
une
mp
loy
me
nt o
r
und
ere
mp
loy
me
nt
Ext
rem
e w
eat
her
eve
nts
We
apo
ns
of m
ass
des
truc
tion
Inte
rsta
te c
onf
lict
wit
h re
gio
nal
con
seq
uen
ces
201Fai
lure
of
clim
ate
-
cha
nge
mi
tiga
tion
and
ad
apt<