The world in 2030, Part 2

The second part of our series talks populism, war and peace, the rise of Zoomers… and Boomers, and health as the new wealth.

Headshot of Vanessa Cook

Vanessa Cook

February 2025

Key takeaways

  • The previous five years kicked off with a global pandemic that forced 4.5 billion people into lockdown, followed by historical quantitative easing, a nominal GDP boom, and an inflation and rates shock, alongside war and the emergence of AI.
  • What's next? The five years leading up to 2030 will likely see micro developments take center stage as the pace of technological disruption accelerates amid widespread adoption of AI in business and society.
  • Part two of our series looks at the four final themes that we expect to define the second half of the decade: populism (meaning less globalization, immigration, and central bank independence), war and peace (protectionism continues, while "forever wars" end), the rise of Zoomers and Boomers, and health as the new wealth.

Read our full analysis for a more in-depth look at these trends.

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