According to the WEF Global Risks Report 2026, the world is entering an “Age of Competition”. This term primarily refers to intensifying rivalry in which domain?
The WEF Global Risks Report 2026 is the 21st edition of the annual global risk assessment.
The report identifies the emergence of an “Age of Competition” marked by intensified global rivalry.
Global competition now extends beyond military power to trade, technology, sanctions, and information warfare.
Risks are assessed across two horizons: short term (2 years) and long term (10 years).
The global risk environment is becoming more fragmented, unpredictable, and interconnected.
In the WEF Global Risks Report 2026, the term “Age of Competition” refers to a structural shift in global relations where countries increasingly pursue national interests through rivalry rather than cooperation.
For exam purposes, understand it in the following multi-dimensional way:
The “Age of Competition” means that states now compete across multiple non-military domains, using economic, technological, informational, and regulatory tools as instruments of power.