As economic and geopolitical uncertainties are on the rise, business leaders need to anticipate and respond proactively rather than reactively to potential shocks. By analysing alternative macro scenarios, this report highlights the top global risks over 2024-2026 and assesses their potential impacts on real GDP growth. It also ranks the vulnerability of economies to macro shocks, helping businesses to estimate market risks, develop more robust strategies, and better respond to negative shocks.
Key findings
Geopolitical tensions, economic challenges and climate change heighten uncertainty
As the global economy still faces difficulties in bouncing back from the macro shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, uncertainty continues to mount, as multiple geopolitical, economic and climate risks persist, and widen the range of possible outcomes for global growth.
The global economy faces seven alternative downside scenarios
Amid the high-risk environment, seven downside scenarios could pan out, impacting global and individual countries’ economic growth and inflation: global stagflation, global fragmentation, commodity price hike, US hard landing, China slowdown, Europe downturn and Latin America downturn.
Global fragmentation and commodity price hike are the top global risk scenarios
Rising geopolitical risks keep the likelihood of supply-side shocks high, threatening trade disruptions and a surge in commodity prices. Global economic fragmentation and commodity price hike scenarios would affect production, increase costs for businesses and consumers, and significantly reduce global real GDP growth by 1.3-1.7 percentage points over 2024-2026.
Conflict-affected, recession-prone and open economies are more vulnerable to global shocks
Ukraine, Greece, Argentina and Croatia have been affected by war, political instability or recent severe recession, and rank as the highest risk economies in Euromonitor’s Country Risk Index 2024. Meanwhile, the lowest risk economies are Australia, Norway and Sweden, given their strong economic fundamentals and resilience to external supply shocks.
Risks and vulnerabilities call for scenario analysis and operational resilience
Global macro shocks can affect both advanced and developing markets alike, requiring global businesses to be agile in any market they are operating in. Incorporation of alternative macroeconomic scenarios as part of market research leads to more robust strategy planning, and a better response to negative shocks.
Strategy Briefings offer unique insight into emerging trends world-wide. Aimed squarely at strategists and planners, they draw on the publisher's vast information resources to give top line insight across markets and within consumer segments. Written by experienced analysts, they are designed as provocations for senior management to use in their own forum, allowing them to stand back and reflect on the behaviour and motivation driving global markets today and tomorrow
Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.
Why buy this report
- Identify factors driving change now and in the future
- Understand motivation
- Forward-looking outlook
- Briefings and presentation should provoke lively discussion at senior level
- Take a step back from micro trends
- Get up to date estimates and comment
