Global Trends in 2025

As we approach 2025, nearly 20 countries have selected their annual words, reflecting the pulse and trends of the world in that year. These words may resonate with your memories of the past year.

Turmoil and Trade

In 2025, the world is not at peace, as evident in the annual words chosen by multiple countries.

In Singapore, the character “荡” (meaning “to sway”) was selected as the annual Chinese character for 2025. According to an article by Lianhe Zaobao, over 160,000 votes were cast for “荡” out of more than 430,000, summarizing the profound effects and turmoil caused by a series of actions from the Trump administration in the United States, reflecting a sense of unease in today’s world.

In South Korea, 766 university professors selected the four-character idiom “变动不居” (meaning “constant change”) as the annual phrase for 2025. Professor Yang Il-moo from Seoul University explained that this idiom signifies the continuous flow and change in the world, reflecting the intense transformations experienced in South Korea, including presidential impeachment, political strife, and geopolitical tensions.

Many citizens believe that the trade war initiated by the United States is one of the significant causes of global turmoil in 2025. The character “税” (meaning “tax”) was chosen as the annual Chinese character in Malaysia, while “关税” (meaning “tariff”) was selected by the Spanish Royal Academy of Language and the Spanish Language Urgent Terms Foundation as the word of the year. The foundation noted that the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have dominated international news for months and continue to do so.

In Switzerland, the Italian-speaking region also selected “关税” as the annual word. The Malaysian committee chair, Wu Hengcan, stated that the choice of “税” reflects strong opposition from developing countries against hegemonic bullying.

In addition to tariffs, Finland’s Language Research Institute chose “无人机墙” (meaning “drone wall”) as the international buzzword of the year, reflecting local reactions to the geopolitical tensions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The word “移民” (meaning “immigrant”) ranked second in Portugal’s annual vocabulary list due to policy controversies surrounding immigration in European countries. Norway’s Language Council selected “科技寡头” (meaning “tech oligarch”) as the annual keyword, pointing to the digital sovereignty struggle in Europe and the United States.

AI and Its Impact

In 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) is empowering various industries at an unprecedented pace, changing lives worldwide. The term “人工智能” (meaning “artificial intelligence”) appears on many countries’ annual word lists.

The German Language Association named “人工智能时代” (meaning “the era of AI”) as the word of the year, indicating that AI has moved from the ivory tower of scientific research into mainstream society. More people are using AI tools for tasks ranging from online searches to dynamic photo generation and text writing.

The Collins Dictionary in the UK selected “氛围编程” (meaning “vibe coding”) as the word of the year, illustrating the shift in programming from a professional skill to an expression of intent, highlighting AI’s impact on creativity and work methods.

However, the explosive growth of AI brings both excitement and concern. Merriam-Webster and Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary independently chose “Slop” or “AI Slop” as the word of the year, referring to low-quality digital content typically generated in bulk by AI, or “AI garbage.”

The publisher of Merriam-Webster stated that absurd videos, distorted images, vulgar content, and misleading fake news generated by AI have flooded the internet, causing public distaste while being widely consumed and shared. The term “Slop” conveys that AI is sometimes not as “super-intelligent” as it seems when it comes to replacing human creativity.

The Finnish Language Research Institute summarized this phenomenon as “人工智能泥潭” (meaning “AI quagmire”) in its annual buzzwords.

The term “幻觉” (meaning “hallucination”) was selected by the renowned Dutch dictionary publisher Van Dale as the word of the year, referring to the false and absurd information generated by large models like ChatGPT when queried.

In the UK, media reports indicate that AI and online platforms are profoundly reshaping how people experience emotions and interact with each other. The Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year is “愤怒诱饵” (meaning “rage bait”), which refers to content deliberately designed to provoke strong emotions like anger to boost web traffic or social media engagement. The Cambridge Dictionary selected “准社交” (meaning “parasocial”), denoting a one-sided emotional connection with someone, whether a chatbot, an unknown celebrity, a book, or a movie. In Romania, media outlets suggest that “准社交” has become a keyword reflecting the social reality of high social media usage, particularly among the youth.

Anxiety and Economic Concerns

As the world undergoes turmoil, distinguishing between truth and falsehood online becomes challenging. The annual words from various countries reflect the anxieties and concerns of ordinary people.

On December 12, the abbot of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan, wrote the character “熊” (meaning “bear”) to reveal the annual character reflecting the sentiments of Japanese society in 2025. This choice was made due to the phenomenon of bears appearing in various regions, with 230 people affected by bear attacks from April to November, marking a historical high. Media commentary suggests that the bear incidents have caused anxiety in affected areas, while political issues have also left many Japanese citizens worried.

In Japan’s selection, the character “米” (meaning “rice”) narrowly ranked second, followed by “高” (meaning “high”). Japanese media report that these characters reflect the rising cost of living and the depreciation of the yen, which have led to a wave of price increases affecting the daily lives of the Japanese people.

In Portugal, the public voting event selected “大停电” (meaning “major blackout”) as the word of the year. On April 28, a widespread power outage occurred in Portugal and Spain, disrupting transportation, communication, and public services for hours. The publisher noted that the choice of “大停电” reflects a deeper concern about modern life’s heavy reliance on technology.

Life is challenging, and anxiety follows. The term “焦虑” (meaning “anxiety”) ranked first in an online vote initiated by the Russian Reading-City website, reflecting that in this turbulent era, anxiety has become a fundamental aspect of life, highlighting uncertainties about the future.

The term “不确定性” (meaning “uncertainty”) was chosen by the Brazilian polling agency Kaws and IDEIA Big Data, indicating that rapid changes in economy and technology, along with geopolitical friction and domestic governance issues, have made Brazilians feel that 2025 is filled with challenges, impacting daily life and personal decisions.

Resilience and Trust

How can people respond to this uncertain world?

The character “韧” (meaning “resilience”) was selected as the annual word in the “Chinese Language Review 2025” event organized by the National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Center, Commercial Press, and Xinhua News Agency. The character encapsulates the essence of resilience, representing steadfastness, determination, and the spirit of perseverance in the face of difficulties.

In Russia, the State Pushkin Russian Language Institute named “胜利” (meaning “victory”) as the top buzzword, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War. South Africa’s Pan South African Language Board announced “G20 Summit” as the annual buzzword, highlighting an international conference marked by African influence and the promotion of multilateralism.

The Treccani Encyclopedia Institute in Italy selected “信任” (meaning “trust”) as the word of the year, reflecting people’s hopes for the future in this uncertain era. Trust can prevent polarization and “adhere” to an increasingly divided society, guiding people out of the quagmire of uncertainty. The most complex and powerful algorithm for human survival remains unchanged: mutual trust.

Notably, the Chinese toy “拉布布” (meaning “Labubu”) was included in the annual word selections by the Finnish Language Research Institute and ranked among the cultural buzzwords in a joint selection by several authoritative institutions in Russia. Russian media noted that the “Labubu” toy has gained popularity through social media. The Finnish Language Research Institute highlighted the toy’s distinctive feature: its wide smile.

In facing challenges with resilience, treating friends with trust, and smiling at the future, which word would you use to describe the soon-to-be-past year of 2025?