The global insurance company AXA In collaboration with Ipsos bva, the 12th edition of the Future Risk Report, a unique report based on a global survey of 23,000 citizens and 3,595 risk experts to measure and rank the levels of fear and vulnerability to 25 different types of life risks.
The report warns that the world is experiencing an unprecedented phase of polarization and social and political division, with escalating environmental, geopolitical and technological crises threatening global stability.
The report, which was based on a survey of more than 26,000 experts and citizens from 57 countries, found that climate change remains the top threat to humanity for the fifth consecutive year, followed by geopolitical turmoil, cyberattacks, AI and big data risks, and social tensions.
The growing sense of living in a world of crisis
In 2025, the sense of living in a world facing multiple crises is even more pronounced. 93% of citizens surveyed believe that the number of crises is increasing (up 3% from 2024).
Among experts, the percentage is even higher, with 95% agreeing, of which 60% strongly agree, an increase of 10 percentage points from last year. There is also a growing conviction that these crises are increasingly affecting people's personal lives (93% of citizens and 96% of experts).
While other risks are on the rise, climate change remains the most worrisome risk globally, holding the top spot since 2018 (with the exception of 2020 during the pandemic).
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The report shows that talk of "climate fatigue" or "getting used to it" is overstated, with climate change still topping the list of most feared risks among both citizens and experts.
Geopolitical instability ranks second among experts, even surpassing climate risk in Europe specifically.
Future risks are alarmingly divided between technological risks (artificial intelligence, big data, cyber attacks), environmental risks (biodiversity loss, energy, pollution), and social risks (social tensions and demographic shifts).
Fear of a global war remains high globally, especially in Europe.
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Some 84% of the world's population fears that geopolitical tensions could escalate globally (down 3% from 2022, following the outbreak of the Ukraine war), while 79% believe it could lead to a new global conflict.
This fear is greater in Europe (80%) than in Asian countries (67%), especially in Britain (89%), Ireland (87%) and Italy (85%).
Experts maintain a relatively pessimistic outlook, with 84% of them seeing the possibility of a global war as a realistic risk.
Democracy and Free Speech Despite the split
Despite a widespread sense of internal division, commitment to democracy remains strong. Nearly three-quarters of citizens and experts say that democracy should be preserved even if it takes longer to make decisions (72% and 76%, respectively).
In contrast, 28% believe that stronger, less democratic governance is necessary to make more effective decisions.
Some 70% of respondents (both citizens and experts) are in favor of full freedom of expression, even if it leads to the spread of extreme political views.
Sharply criticized for poor government preparedness
The experts strongly criticized the lack of preparedness of public authorities to deal with future risks, especially strategic risks.
Only 12% of experts believe governments are ready to deal with climate change (down 2% from 2024, and only 9% in France), and 16% believe they are ready to deal with geopolitical instability.
Public opinion was more tolerant, but still pessimistic, with only three out of 25 potential risks seeing their authorities as "prepared" for any of the risks.
Only about a third of respondents believe that national authorities are prepared to deal with climate change (32%), social tensions (33%), geopolitical tensions (33%) or AI risks (33%).
About the survey
The survey was conducted by Ipsos for AXA via online questionnaires among two groups: Experts and the general public, from May 14 to June 19, 2025.
The experts included 3,595 respondents from 57 countries, 42% of whom are between 45 and 59 years old, and 82% work for AXA in risk management.
The general sample included 23,000 people from 18 countries, including 5,000 in the United States, 2,000 in Germany, and 1,000 each in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Turkey, Mexico, Brazil, Morocco, Nigeria, Egypt, China, Japan, and Hong Kong.
Turkey, Egypt, Ireland and Brazil were added to this year's sample, while Australia was removed for 2024.
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