• by Sara Guaglione , November 21, 2019

The Economist released its annual standalone special issue, “The World in 2020.” In its 34th year, “The World In…” franchise looks at the year ahead and predicts the issues that will likely affect global affairs and the economy.

It is available online now and newsstands Friday, Nov. 22. It is also available for purchase on The Economist’s ecommerce shop.

The magazine will hit a circulation of 1 million this year.

“The World In...” editor Daniel Franklin is stepping down, The Economist announced. Franklin has led the franchise for 17 years. He will focus on his role as diplomatic editor.

“Twenty-twenty has a landmark ring to it,” Franklin stated. “The start of a new decade prompts bigger-than-usual thoughts about the future. For the first time in 60 years, the new decade coincides with the year of the rat, the start of the 12-year cycle in the Chinese zodiac. And, as the predictions in this volume describe, 2020 itself will not be short of drama.”

Next year, Tom Standage will succeed him, as well as continue as deputy editor of The Economist. 

"The World In..." is part of The Economist's "The World Ahead" franchise, which also spans films and podcasts. It also includes “The World If…” Since 2015, "The World If..." is published every summer in The Economist and imagines a world under different circumstances, like a Facebook shutdown in Europe, for example.

Along with The Economist’s journalists and guest contributors, Franklin has identified 12 key themes in politics, the economy and culture that will shape the world next year. 

The issue out tomorrow looks at elections in the U.S. and Brexit, China's sphere of influence, sports, nuclear proliferation, sustainability, The Gulf, Mars, tech and streaming entertainment, among other topics.