World risk poll 2021: A changed world?

This first report of the 2021 World Risk Poll provides new global insights that identify the differences between people’s thoughts about, and experiences of risk before and after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings can be used by governments, regulators, businesses, NGOs, and communities to target their policies and carry out meaningful interventions where it’s most needed.

How did people think about their personal safety and the greatest risks to it in 2021? Key findings of the report include:

• Globally, the percentage of people who felt ‘less safe’ than they did five years prior increased, from 30% in 2019 to 34% in 2021. The percentage who said they felt ‘more safe’ remained essentially unchanged at 27%.
• Seven percent of people worldwide spontaneously named Covid-19 as the greatest source of risk to their safety, making it the fourth most commonly named threat, behind road-related accidents (13%), crime and violence (12%) and non-Covid-19-specific health issues (10%).