Looking ahead is a customary practice at the start of the year, as people and organisations assess what might be in store so they can prepare themselves to cope better.

Most analysts look at the outlook for countries from the economic and business perspective, as this affects investment and business decisions. There are also geopolitical risk assessments that monitor how events and trends in a region might affect a country’s prospects in the year ahead. Less common is analysis on the social or sociopolitical front.