What are the main problems we face?
Sarah Martinez
Updated on January 07, 2026
The 10 Biggest Issues in the World
- Poverty. More than 70 percent of the people in the world own less than $10,000 — or roughly 3 percent of total wealth in the world.
- Religious Conflict & War.
- Political Polarization.
- Government Accountability.
- Education.
- Food and Water.
- Health in Developing Nations.
- Credit Access.
What do we face the future with?
We face the future with warm courage and high hope. For we have the clear consciousness of seeking old and precious values.
What is the greatest challenge your generation will face?
The greatest challenge facing our generation is the pollution of our environment as caused by the combustion of fossil fuels for energy, as well as the impending loss of fossil fuels as an energy source.
What are the biggest concerns for the future?
The top 10 global challenges identified by respondents are:
- Securing cyberspace.
- Economical clean energy.
- Sustaining land and oceans.
- Sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
- Sustainable cities.
- Access to clean water and sanitation.
- Clean air.
- Food security.
What is the most serious social problem?
Climate change affects the entire world population, and the Union of Concerned Scientists calls this social issue “one of the most devastating problems humanity has ever faced.” The 800 million people already living in extreme poverty will be impacted most severely.
Are there going to be problems in the future?
And decades. And decades. This will eventually have some weird effects in some areas of our (increasingly lengthy) lives, starting with the workplace. To avoid crushing the Social Security system, people will be working much longer.
What are the problems that the next generation will face?
Climate change and its global impact: Global climate change is going to be a challenge for us humans going ahead. Our lives are constantly changing and I believe we need to look towards our environment as a living being and take care of it.
What are the problems we face right now?
Over the last few months, BBC Future Now has been examining some of the biggest problems humankind faces right now: land use to accommodate exploding populations, the future of nuclear energy, the chasm between rich and poor – and much more.
What are the global challenges for the future?
Tele-medicine, tele-education, and tele-everything will connect humanity, the built environment, and computational everything to address our global challenges. The world is getting richer, healthier, better educated, more peaceful, and better connected and people are living longer, yet half the world is potentially unstable.