The World Economic Forum’s 2018 Executive Opinion Survey provides a snapshot of the global risks that executives say are of highest concern for doing business in their respective countries.
This year’s survey had responses from more than 12,500 executives in 140 countries, who selected the key risks to doing business in their country. The report sets out national and regional results, as well as indicating how concerns have changed over time. Regional Risks for Doing Business 2018 complements the broader perspective provided in The Global Risks Report, and other country risk analyses.
High unemployment remains the top risk concern for business leaders worldwide for the third year in a row, while concerns over large cyberattacks and national governance failure continue to rise.
Globally, unease about large cyberattacks jumped three ranks from eight in 2017 to five in 2018; in 2016, it ranked 11 globally. In advanced economies, the risk of large cyberattacks remains the top executive concern. It retains the top spot in North America and East Asia and the Pacific, and has also risen four places to number one in Europe.
Broad-based apprehension about national governance failure continues to grow as well. Now ranking second globally, it also occupies this position in the list of executive concerns in emerging markets, having risen steadily from 11 to six to five in advanced economies since 2016. Guy Carpenter’s parent company, Marsh & McLennan Companies, is a strategic partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the global risks agenda.
