Live from Davos 2026: What to know on Day 5

The global economy is expected to grow by 3.3% this year, though trade tensions, public debt levels and the risk of asset bubbles have put policy-makers and markets on high alert.

The global economy is expected to grow by 3.3% this year, though trade tensions, public debt levels and the risk of asset bubbles have put policy-makers and markets on high alert.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde was asked about Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s much-discussed address citing a “rupture” in the global order.

She’s not sure “rupture” is the right word, but she is sure that accuracy is important.

“We hear lots of numbers floating around” about certain countries’ growth prospects, she said. But it’s important to differentiate between “real growth numbers” that take inflation into account, and nominal figures.

“It’s important to actually speak the truth,” Lagarde said, adding that “that’s one of my takeaways” from this year's Annual Meeting.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva chose to quote a famous film to describe the current situation for the global order.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore,” she said.

Asked for his perspective from the private sector, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said the biggest current downside to the global economy is “the mistrust that has developed among nations.”

He cited the fact that “the water has to go around multiple obstacles,” possibly a metaphor for protectionism and tariffs, and noted that he’s spent a lot more time in capitals around the world speaking with political leaders; “It’s way better if you engage.”

For his part, Saudi Arabia’ s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan said the biggest downsides in the global economy currently include “a very serious debt issue,” both public and private. When it comes to the AI investment boom, he suggested that a reckoning “could surprise us,” in the same way that an inflation spike did circa 2022.

“We need to be watchful,” he said.

Watch the session live here.

Mental health problems and brain illnesses place a heavy burden on economies and individuals. Rapid technological disruption, shifting labour markets and the erosion of traditional communities are transforming how people see themselves and relate to others, often faster than support systems can adapt.

The session ‘Mental Health When Everything Shifts’ brings together leaders, innovators and advocates to explore how to build resilience, expand access to care and safeguard mental well-being in an age defined by volatility and uncertainty.

On the panel are: Linda Mills, President, New York University (NYU); Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Henry Schein; Marija Manojlovic, Executive Director, Safe Online; and is moderated by Helen E. Clark, Chair, Lancet Countdown High-Level Advisory Board on Health and Climate Change.

Watch the session live here.

What drives one of the world’s leading climate scientists? For Johan Rockström, it’s the search for truth – and the mission to secure our future on a stable, life-supporting planet.

Rockström talks to On the Move about where he still finds hope. First, in the science itself: the evidence shows the window to act is still open. Second, in the people he works with – from business leaders to policymakers – who are pressing ahead with real solutions. And third, in growing proof that the big transitions ahead, from energy to food, aren’t about sacrifice, but about better outcomes for health, security and the economy.

You can hear more from Johan Rockström in the Davos 2026 session, How Can We Build Prosperity Within Planetary Boundaries? - where he joins a cross-sector cast of panellists: André Hoffmann, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Sumant Sinha, Ramon Laguarta and Andrew Forrest.

A consensus is building that this was one of the most monumental iterations of Davos on record (no, it's true, we know how overused the word “unprecedented” can be). The Annual Meeting surfed a rough wave of geopolitical tension and managed to bring a haul of breakthroughs and insights back to shore – or to the flatland. Media attention on this final day of the confab is focused on the big-picture narratives that sum it all up.

The highly scrutinized Annual Meeting provided a window for many into the state of a world struggling to adapt to new realities – and the erosion of old certainties. (Guardian)

The German Chancellor laid out the ways in which “great power politics,” two great powers in particular, are affecting everyone else. (DW)

Elon Musk’s first Davos appearance was studded with weighty predictions about robots, AI, ageing, and an explosion of economic productivity. (Euronews)

The trans-Atlantic goings-on at Davos set the stage for America’s traditional partners to make some difficult decisions. (The Conversation)

Davos had a revamp this year, and “it’s so back.” (Semafor)

Scientific discovery underpins human progress - from cosmology to energy innovation. But science faces mounting threats: eroding trust in experts, intellectual property conflicts and security concerns fracturing global collaboration.

This session examines how we preserve science's collaborative spirit while navigating geopolitics, commercialization and misinformation.

Scientific discovery underpins human progress – from cosmology to energy innovation. But science faces mounting threats: eroding trust in experts, intellectual property conflicts and security concerns fracturing global collaboration.

This session examines how we preserve science's collaborative spirit while navigating geopolitics, commercialization and misinformation.

Alyson Shontell Lombardi, Editor-in-Chief, Fortune, is joined by Maria Leptin, President, European Research Council; Alexi Robichaux, Co-Founder and CEO, BetterUp and Daniel Skovronsky, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Lilly Research Laboratories and Lilly Immunology, Eli Lilly and Company, to discuss how research can remain a genuine driver of discovery.

Watch the session live here at 9:00 CET.

Welcome to the final day of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.

The momentum is still running high. Sessions today address social movements, mental health, geopolitical risks, the meaning of politics, unicorns, and the nexus of art and science.

We're bringing you a rundown of what's happening on the ground, the key sessions to watch, live snapshots, essential reading, and an inside track on the conversations that matter.

Here's a recap of what you may have missed yesterday.

And here's where to find some of the livestreams:

Can We Protect Science? at 9:00 CET

How High Can Unicorns Fly? at 10.15 CET

Global Economic Outlook at 11:00 CET

Closing Remarks with Børge Brende at 12:00 CET