What 2026 will look like | Future Forecast

Read 117 predictions for 2026, a year that will see the world transform in big and small ways; this includes disruptions throughout our culture, technology, science, health and business sectors. It’s your future, discover what you’re in for.

Fast Forecasts for 2026

• The European Union's experimental, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is activated for the first time 1
• China's economy will overtake the U.S. for the first time 1
• First 3D Fast Bus, the Land Airbus, is tested on Chinese roads 1
• Near-infrared goggles help surgeons view cancer cells and see tumors as small as 1mm 1
• Google contributes to speeding up the Internet, to make it 1000 times faster 1
• Cost of solar panels, per watt, equals 0.75 US dollars 1
• World population forecasted to reach 8,215,348,000 1
• World sales of electric vehicles reaches 10,526,667 1
• Predicted global mobile web traffic equals 126 exabytes 1
• Global Internet traffic grows to 452 exabytes 1

Technology Forecasts for 2026

Technology related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:

• How Quantum computers will change the world: Future of Computers P7
• The big business future behind self-driving cars: Future of Transportation P2
• Rise of the big data-powered virtual assistants: Future of the Internet P3
• Your future inside the Internet of Things: Future of the Internet P4
• Your addictive, magical, augmented life: Future of the Internet P6

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Business News for 2026

Business related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:

• Automation is the new outsourcing

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Culture Forecasts for 2026

Culture related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:

• The last job creating industries: Future of Work P4
• Jobs that will survive automation: Future of Work P3
• Death of the full-time job: Future of Work P2
• AI police crush the cyber underworld: Future of policing P3
• Reengineering sentencing, incarceration, and rehabilitation: Future of law P4

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Related culture articles for 2026:

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Culture related podcast episodes that cover trends in 2026

When Generation X takes over politics and reshapes the world | Life in 2030 podcast | S1:E4

Science Forecasts for 2026

Science related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:

• The rise of the transportation internet: Future of Transportation P4
• GMOs vs superfoods | Future of Food P3
• Peak cheap oil triggers renewable era: Future of Energy P2
• Renewables vs. the thorium and fusion energy wildcards: Future of Energy P5
• China, rise of a new global hegemon: Geopolitics of Climate Change

Related science articles for 2026:

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Health Forecasts for 2026

Health related predictions due to make an impact in 2026 include:

• Future of beauty: Future of Human Evolution P1
• Tomorrow’s pandemics and the super drugs engineered to fight them: Future of Health P2

Related health articles for 2026:

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Next Scheduled Update For This Future Timeline
May 23, 2021. Last updated May 23, 2019.

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