The State of Global Catastrophic Risk Research: A Bibliometric Review

This paper presents a systematic bibliometric analysis of the expanding literature on global catastrophic risk (GCR) and existential risk (ER). Based on 3,437 documents, the authors identify ten major research clusters, including key drivers such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and pandemics. The metadata indicate that approximately 150 GCR/ER-related publications are produced annually. The analysis also reveals significant geographic and gender imbalances, with research largely concentrated in the United States and the United Kingdom, and limited author diversity. The authors call for new collaborative venues, greater inclusivity, and stronger links to neighbouring fields such as systemic risk and public policy to support a more integrated and impactful GCR/ER research community.