The global risk landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with geopolitical tensions, large-scale war, artificial intelligence and climate change emerging as major concerns for governments, businesses and other institutions around the world.

The United Nations Global Risk Report 2026 is based on a risk-perception survey involving 1,300 stakeholders across 155 countries. Participants assessed 28 risks spanning political, economic, environmental, societal and technological areas.

The findings show a significant shift in how global risks are being perceived, with political and security concerns moving closer to the centre of international discussions.

Large-Scale War Emerges as a Major Concern

One of the most notable findings is the growing concern about large-scale war.

Thirty-six percent of respondents said they expect a large-scale war to occur within one year, according to the survey.

The result reflects increased concern about geopolitical tensions and the possibility that conflicts could expand beyond their immediate regions.

The report does not predict that a large-scale war will occur. Instead, the figure represents the perception of surveyed stakeholders about the likelihood and seriousness of the risk.

AI Concerns Rise

Artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies have also become increasingly prominent in the global risk landscape.

Respondents expressed growing concerns about the potential consequences of rapidly advancing technologies, including the concentration of technological and economic power.

The findings indicate that technological risks are becoming more closely connected with political, economic and social issues.

AI can provide significant opportunities across areas such as healthcare, education, research and economic development, but the survey highlights concerns about how rapidly developing technologies could create new risks.

Climate Change Remains the Leading Overall Risk

Despite the rise in geopolitical and technological concerns, climate-change inaction remains the single most important of the 28 risks assessed.

The finding indicates that environmental challenges continue to have a central position in the global risk landscape.

The report also notes that environmental risks as a broader category have slightly declined in perceived importance compared with some other risks.

However, this does not mean that environmental threats have become less dangerous.

The changing rankings instead show how attention is being redistributed as geopolitical and technological risks become more prominent.

Pandemic Concerns Decline

The survey also shows a substantial change in perceptions of biological risks.

Six years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the perceived importance of biorisks and new pandemics has fallen more than any other risk measured in the assessment.

This represents a significant change from the period immediately following the pandemic, when infectious diseases and health emergencies dominated many international risk discussions.

The decline in perceived importance does not eliminate the underlying risks but indicates that respondents are currently focusing more strongly on other threats.

Risks Are Increasingly Connected

The report highlights that global risks cannot always be examined separately.

Geopolitical tensions can influence economic conditions, supply chains and international cooperation. Technological developments can affect employment, information systems and security, while climate-related pressures can create economic and social consequences.

This interconnected nature makes risk management more difficult for individual governments and institutions.

A disruption in one area can potentially create additional pressure in another.

International Cooperation Remains Important

Despite the increasingly complicated global risk environment, respondents identified joint action between governments as the most effective response to global risks.

International cooperation can allow governments to share information, coordinate policies and develop common approaches to challenges that cross national borders.

Issues such as climate change, emerging technologies, pandemics and geopolitical instability cannot be addressed entirely within the boundaries of a single country.

A Changing International Risk Landscape

The 2026 findings indicate that the priorities of governments and international institutions are evolving.

Security and geopolitical concerns have become more prominent, while emerging technologies are generating new questions about governance and accountability.

At the same time, climate change remains a major long-term challenge despite changes in the relative ranking of environmental risks.

The combination of these challenges means that governments face a broad range of interconnected risks rather than a single dominant global threat.

Data for Future Policy Decisions

The survey provides policymakers with information about how experts and stakeholders currently perceive global risks.

Its findings are intended to support preparedness and international discussions rather than serve as a prediction of future events.

The data show that 36% of respondents perceive large-scale war as a possible one-year risk, while climate-change inaction remains the most important overall risk among the 28 assessed.

As governments prepare for an increasingly interconnected risk environment, the report highlights the continuing importance of international cooperation, reliable information and coordinated policy responses.