The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting—which starts next week in Davos, Switzerland—will bring together leading decision-makers to discuss the most important global issues and priorities for 2026. Key topics include agentic AI transformations, growth and resilience, geopolitical uncertainty, and 21st-century leadership, and this year’s program will center on dialogue and cooperation. This week, we preview the topics that define the Davos 2026 agenda and the trends that will shape conversations happening there.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

While Davos 2026 will cover high-profile subjects such as AI’s continued growth, there are many other issues worthy of attention, according to members of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders. McKinsey asked members of this network—professionals from business, media, and nongovernmental and not-for-profit organizations—to share the topics that should also be on the Davos agenda. Their responses ranged from the importance of trust between people and their governments to mental health, space exploration, and investing in African youth. For example, Samar Ali, founding president and CEO of the nonprofit Millions of Conversations, says, “We need to spend time on why there is such a historic trust deficit between many people around the world and the governments, institutions, and leaders who represent them. Until we fully understand and appreciate the ‘why’ part, we risk not breaking this negative distrust pattern in time. And the longer we wait to figure this out, the more we become vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation.” Read more about this and other challenges shaping our world. And for further insight into the upcoming meeting, register for the McKinsey Live virtual event, “World Economic Forum: A preview of Davos 2026,” on January 14.

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