What Is the World’s Most Important Problem?

There is no shortage of contenders for “the most important problem in the world.” Every day, leaders confront a growing list of complex and overlapping challenges that demand their attention. A new report from Gallup, released at World Governments Summit 2026, focuses on the issues people most want their leaders to solve, based on their responses to a new question added to the Gallup World Poll: “According to you, what is the most important problem your country is facing currently?” Riada Akyol, senior communications consultant at Gallup, and Benedict Vigers, Gallup senior global news writer, discuss the findings from this new research. Read the report, “The World’s Most Important Problem,” here:

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What Is the World’s Most Important Problem? is an episode from The Gallup Podcast by GALLUP®.

This episode is 20:41 long.

This episode was published on Feb 5, 2026.

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