Global Uncertainty Is Spiking Again

This chart tracks the World Uncertainty Index (WUI) — a text-based measure built from Economist Intelligence Unit country reports (Ahir, Bloom & Furceri). It reflects how often “uncertainty” shows up in country narratives, aggregated into a PPP-GDP-weighted global index.

What stands out
- Clear surges around major shocks: dot-com/9-11, the 2008–09 financial crisis, Eurozone turmoil, 2016 political shocks, and COVID-19 in 2020.
- A fresh jump in late 2024 / early 2025, suggesting uncertainty is again front-of-mind for policymakers and businesses.

How this was built
Queried FRED’s academic data in Baselight (WUIGLOBALWEIGHTAVG series), aggregated to quarterly averages from 2000 onward.