Access to freshwater is changing rapidly, with water stress affecting billions of people and countless businesses each year. Droughts and floods are becoming more frequent and severe, water pollution continues to rise and, without urgent action, we will soon reach a tipping point. This report outlines key pathways to strengthen water resilience, through private sector and multi-stakeholder action, and secure the future of water for society and the global economy.

Today’s most pressing challenges – rising inequality, environmental crises and social fragmentation – are too complex for any single organization to solve alone. Collective social innovation offers a new way forward, bringing together diverse stakeholders to create systemic change.

With the increasing digitization of society, online harms – such as child sexual exploitation, scams, privacy violations and disinformation – are growing in complexity and volume. Many organizations struggle to implement interventions due to limited resources, regulatory complexity and rapidly evolving threats, putting them at risk of legal and reputational consequences. The Intervention Journey: A Roadmap to Effective Digital Safety Measures proposes a detailed plan for how to implement digital safety interventions.

Retail investing has undergone a seismic shift. Global market activity, once dominated by institutional players now includes a rapidly growing share of individual investors. However, many investors still face barriers to participation, such as limited financial education, economic uncertainty and the complexity of evolving technology. The 2024 Global Retail Investor Outlook, developed by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group and Robinhood Markets, explores the latest trends shaping retail investor behaviour. Based on a survey of 13,000 investors across 13 countries, it highlights key structural shifts, including expanded access to varied financial products, AI-driven platforms and demographic changes fuelling new market participation. The report spotlights the new wave of retail investors from traditionally underserved groups, including younger people, individuals from emerging markets and women.By improving access, financial literacy and investment tools, the financial system can empower individuals to achieve their financial objectives and build long-term wealth while ensuring inclusive and successful market participation. Through its survey findings, the report provides actionable insights for policy-makers, industry leaders and investors alike.

The world is at a pivotal moment in its demographic transition, with more than one in four people now living in countries where the population has peaked. This shift, coupled with increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates, presents both urgent challenges and unprecedented opportunities.

Global cooperation is at a crossroads. While overall collaboration has flatlined, driven by heightened geopolitical tensions and instability, positive momentum in areas of climate and nature, innovation and technology, and health and wellness offer hope.

The January 2025 Chief Economists Outlook explores key trends in the global economy, including the latest outlook for growth, inflation, monetary and fiscal policy. It discusses the impact of US policy on the global economy, investigates fragmentation trends and discusses the turbulent outlook for global trade. This series of reports draws on the individual and collective perspectives of a group of leading chief economists through consultations with the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists Community and a regular Chief Economists Survey.