A survey released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) has found that nuclear war and cyber attacks are among the top concerns in 2018.
According to this year’s Global Risks Report, released just days before the WEF’s annual Davos meeting next week, 93 percent of the almost 1,000 experts surveyed from business, government and academia believed the risk of political or economic confrontation among countries has grown significantly.
Nearly 80 percent stated that the risk of a large military conflict between major powers has risen as well, as numerous conflicts expand across the globe.
The results come as experts warn that the world is closer to nuclear conflict than in previous decades, pointing to escalating tensions between North Korea and the United States.
The survey also found cyber threats to be a chief concern following a year of massive data breaches and hacks affecting millions worldwide.
“Cyber threats are growing in prominence, with large-scale cyberattacks now ranked third in terms of likelihood, while rising cyber-dependencyis ranked as the second most significant driver shaping the global risks landscape over the next 10 years,” a WEF press release states.
Over 145 million Americans’ identities were exposed in 2017 after Equifax, one of the world’s top consumer credit reporting agencies, failed to protect the public’s private data, including social security numbers, from hackers.
“Humanity has become remarkably adept at understanding how to mitigate conventional risks that can be relatively easily isolated,” the report said. “But we are much less competent when it comes to dealing with complex risks in the interconnected systems that underpin our world, such as organizations, economies, societies and the environment.”
Topping the list of concerns was extreme weather events and other environmental issues such as man-made disasters and biodiversity loss.
While risks and concerns overall appear to be rising, the economy represented one area in which the survey found that fears have fallen sharply.
“A widening economic recovery presents us with an opportunity that we cannot afford to squander, to tackle the fractures that we have allowed to weaken the world’s institutions, societies and environment,” said Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the WEF.
Among Americans, optimism about the economy has grown as well. CNBC’s All-American Economic Survey released in December found that nearly 41 percent expected the economy to improve in 2018.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver a speech on the WEF’s closing day. The annual event, held in the Swiss Alps, runs from Jan. 23-26 .
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