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125 Examples of World Problems

John Spacey, updated on July 08, 2024

World problems, or global problems, are pervasive issues and risks that impact multiple nations and regions. These can be complex and intractable problems that require international cooperation to solve. In other cases, world problems can be solved country by country such that they aren't a problem everywhere. The following are illustrative examples of world problems.

Social Issues

Issues that impact the lives of people on a global basis. Social issues relate to justice, poverty, living conditions, disease and other problems and risks that influence quality of life across nations.

Environmental Issues

Threats to the planet and its systems, environments, resources and species. Environmental problems include pollution and environmental degradation. These problems are seldom contained within borders and require international cooperation and sustained commitment to solve.

Political Issues

Global issues related to governments and the political process. This includes areas such as trade agreements, corporate influence, democracy, diplomacy, safety and security. Global political problems also includes issues of sovereignty such as foreign influence over elections.

Economic Issues

Economic issues including poor economic conditions such as inflation, deflation, unemployment or labor shortages. These can be caused by deeply entrenched problems such as a lack of infrastructure or an aging population and declining birthrate.

Human Rights

The rights and freedoms of all human beings. This includes basic freedoms to express yourself, move and pursue happiness. Human rights also encompasses important legal, cultural, religious, worker and political rights that underpin the social stability and quality of life of nations and peoples.

Ethical Issues

Complex issues of right and wrong where the best path forward can be difficult to determine. It is also difficult to come to agreement on ethical issues, particularly across multiple nations. For example, identifying how a particularly advanced technology might be a risk to humanity and how this risk might be mitigated without damaging the potential benefits of the technology.

Global Risks

The potential for negative outcomes and events at global scale. This includes natural risks such as disaster risk, political risks such as conflicts, technology risks such as cybersecurity incidents, environmental risks such as climate change and economic risks such as the risk of a large scale crop failure.