The World In 2021

Future-gazing analysis, predictions and speculation


The World in 2021, our guide to the coming year, was published in November 2020 and looked ahead to America’s presidential inauguration, Germany’s new leader and the world’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. “The World in” is part of our collection of future-gazing coverage, which also includes “The World Ahead”, a monthly podcast, and “The World if”, our annual scenarios supplement. If you are not already a subscriber you can unlock some of our content by registering here.

Tom's top 10

The World Ahead Needle and spread

The path to a covid-19 vaccine may be quick, but it will be bumpy

Certifying, manufacturing and distributing it will not be easy

The World Ahead Plotting the economic course

Governments must judge if the economic recovery needs more help

No one knows how much lasting damage has been done


The World Ahead The president’s priorities

Joe Biden’s in-tray is already overflowing

He will start with tackling the pandemic and reviving the economy


The World Ahead Still a contender

The Biden administration will try to box clever on China

But it will not rush to overturn all of Donald Trump’s policies

The World Ahead The new geography of business

Covid-19 forced businesses to experiment

Now comes the reckoning

The World Ahead After the tech-celeration

New technological behaviours will outlast the pandemic

Italian grannies have discovered online shopping

Holidays in 2021 will be fewer, longer and closer to home





A covid-19 vaccine

The World Ahead The World in 2021

The covid-19 vaccination programme will be the biggest in history

But distributing vaccines will be just as challenging as developing them

The World Ahead The World in 2021

With covid-19, nobody is safe until everyone is safe

So ensuring fair distribution of vaccines is vital, argues Seth Berkley of Gavi


The World Ahead The World in 2021

New treatments for covid-19 are on the way

They will improve the chances of those infected by, or exposed to, the virus


The World Ahead The World in 2021

What to expect in year two of the pandemic

Vaccines and cheap, rapid tests should make a difference


The World Ahead The World in 2021

Vaccine diplomacy could give China’s image a boost

Look out for the new “health Silk Road”


The post-coronavirus economy

The World Ahead The World in 2021

Covid-19 leaves a legacy of increased inequality

The phasing-out of income support and cuts to public services will hurt

The World Ahead The World in 2021

America’s economy is mending but recovery will come at a cost

The economic effects of covid-19 will be felt for years


The World Ahead The World in 2021

China’s economy will hold up well in the coming year

GDP for 2021 could meet pre-pandemic predictions


The World Ahead The World in 2021

India’s economy was sick before the coronavirus crisis

It will still be unwell when the pandemic has passed


The World Ahead The World in 2021

Labour markets in the rich world will diverge

Protectors v preservers


The geopolitical shift

The World Ahead The World in 2021

A difficult year looms for the European Union

Can it weather the storm?

The World Ahead The World in 2021

Joe Biden’s in-tray is already overflowing

He will start with tackling the pandemic and reviving the economy


The World Ahead The World in 2021

African countries will remain best friends with China

They will reject calls to loosen their ties


The World Ahead The World in 2021

South-East Asian countries are trapped between two superpowers

Balancing China and America will be tough


Aftershocks

The World Ahead The World in 2021

Was the pandemic a grey rhino or a black swan?

It was more predictable than people realise

The World Ahead The World in 2021

The crisis reminds of the need for scientific evidence

We need to be curiosity-driven as well as problem-oriented


The World Ahead The World in 2021

New thinking is needed on workers’ rights

It was not automation or software that brought job losses


The World Ahead The World in 2021

Paris illuminates the way ahead for the world’s cities

Trust your citizens and build more bike lanes


The World Ahead The World in 2021

Covid-19 showed up humanity’s vulnerability

It also showed the need to prepare for future risks


Culture and entertainment

The World Ahead The World in 2021

The pandemic has shaken up the movie business

Studios and streaming platforms will reckon with the impact of lockdowns

The World Ahead The World in 2021

Covid-19 fiction is coming—inoculate yourself

Many stories cooked up during the pandemic will be published in 2021


The World Ahead The World in 2021

Video games are becoming spectator sports

Can they get as big as football and cricket?


The World Ahead The World in 2021

African-made content is crossing over into the global cultural mainstream

It’s not just Afrobeats

The World Ahead The World in 2021

The Humboldt Forum in Berlin is a new kind of museum

It embodies many museum-related controversies. Can it offer answers?

The World Ahead The World in 2021

Will 2021 be another strong year for books?

The printed word bounced back during 2020