In European NATO countries and Canada, defense spending has grown by over 50 percent since 2022. Allies in close geographic proximity to Russia have particularly accelerated modernization efforts.

SOURCE: "U.S. and Allied Burden Sharing: A Progress Report" by CSIS's Jerry McGinn and Celia Barrie.
 

As of 2019, the illicit drug trade across the Asia-Pacific region was estimated to be worth between $30.3 billion & $61.4 billion. The Pacific’s geography, large exclusive economic zones, and limited maritime enforcement capacity & regional coordination create vulnerabilities that transnational drug networks can exploit.

SOURCE: "The Narco Highway: Mapping the Pacific’s Drug Trade" by CSIS's John Augé.

Russia’s attacks on cargo ships and export infrastructure have largely suspended vessel traffic through Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, previously responsible for approximately 90 percent of Ukraine’s agricultural exports.

SOURCE: "How Do the Latest Black Sea Attacks Affect Global Food Security?" by CSIS's Caitlin Welsh, Emma Curtis, and Joseph Glauber.
 

The surge in AI data center demand is already forcing the U.S. to expand energy infrastructure faster than expected. Of the data centers under construction in the U.S. as of September 2025, 75 percent are expected to consume more than 23 gigawatts of energy.

SOURCE: "Building Quantum-Ready Infrastructure: Preparing for the Physical Demands of Quantum Computing" by CSIS's Hideki Tomoshige.