The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026, Third Edition (McKinsey & Company)

Summary

• The barometer is built on 41 indicators across five pillars of global cooperation.p.5
• A survey of executives garnered responses from 799 participants in 81 economies.p.5
• 85% of Forum council members described global cooperation in 2025 as less or much less cooperative than in 2024.p.10
• 57% of surveyed executives do not perceive overall conditions to have worsened relative to 2024.p.10
• Cooperation in the innovation and technology pillar rose approximately 3% year-on-year.p.15
• Net migration inflows into the US and Germany fell by an estimated 65% and 39% compared to 2024, respectively.p.13

Key insights

1. Overall cooperation was largely unchanged, but metrics relating to multilateralism weakened most.p.4
2. New migration flows to OECD countries weakened by 4% in 2024.p.13
3. Goods trade grew slightly slower than overall GDP, while flows of services and capital continued to rise.p.12
4. Survey responses from 171 council members were used based on completeness.p.5
5. Smaller and more adaptive cooperative coalitions are emerging as global multilateral cooperation faces challenges.p.7