SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
THE CHIEF ECONOMISTS’ OUTLOOK
Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director,
WEF
The WEF’ s Chief Economists’ Outlook, released in September 2025, looks at dynamics shaping the global economy and the results of surveys it conducted from July to August 2025. The findings and topics included may shape the conversations at Davos.
The report says that some 72 % of surveyed chief economists expect the global economy to weaken over the next year, amid intensifying trade disruption, rising policy uncertainty and accelerating technological change.
Chief economists overwhelmingly agreed that today’ s disruptions are structural rather than cyclical. Large majorities anticipate long-term disruption in natural resources and energy, technology and innovation, trade and global value chains and global economic institutions.
The chief economists warned that advanced and developing economies are on increasingly divergent growth pathways and 56 % expect greater divergence over the next three years.
“ The contours of a new economic environment are already taking shape, defined by disruption across trade, technology, resources and institutions,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the WEF.“ Leaders must adapt with urgency and collaboration to turn today’ s turbulence into tomorrow’ s resilience.”
112 December 2025