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World Economic Forum survey shows doing business got tougher in 2025
Nearly four in ten executives indicated growing barriers to trade, talent and cross-border capital flows had made it harder to do business.
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Reuters - Thu, 08, Jan 2026
- 15:28 EST
- 16
A logo of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is pictured during the 55th annual WEF meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2025. / REUTERS/Yves Herman
Companies found it harder to do business in 2025 due to a deterioration in global cooperation on issues including trade, climate, technology and security, a survey published by the World Economic Forum showed on Jan. 8.
Released ahead of the WEF's next annual gathering in Davos later this month, the online poll of 799 executives in 81 economies using a McKinsey global survey panel showed 43 percent found doing business got more difficult compared to 2024.
Only 7 percent were of the opposite view, with the remainder saying things had stayed the same or offering no opinion.
Nearly four in ten executives indicated growing barriers to trade, talent and cross-border capital flows had made it harder to do business, with only 10 percent of the opposite point of view.
Also read: PM Modi urges startups to leverage AI for societal good
"Undeniably, a series of U.S. tariff announcements in 2025 raised questions about the future of trade," said the WEF in its Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 report.
U.S. President Donald Trump in April announced a raft of tariffs against the United States' trade partners, testing global supply chains. Bit by bit, Trump lowered many tariffs as he struck deals with various countries.
The fact that six out of ten executives did not highlight trade problems indicated many have found ways to readjust strategies to navigate the turbulence, the WEF said.
Fully 42 percent saw cooperation on peace and security in decline, compared to 13 percent who saw it improving. In addition, 29% saw collaboration over climate and natural resources getting tougher, while 17 percent expressed the view it was improving.
Still, the report said global new investment in renewable energy rose nearly 10 percent in the first half of 2025 from the same period in 2024, and that installed solar and wind capacity leapt 67% to 408 gigawatts over the same period.
A parallel September poll by the WEF of members of its Global Future Councils showed they were more negative than executives on the state of overall global cooperation, with 85% of the view that it had declined in 2025 compared to 2024.
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