Inclusion works: 2026 global trends report

In 2025, the global inclusion landscape was marked by complexity: new regulatory frameworks,¹ fluid public narratives, and internal debates about what inclusion should be and who it should serve. Leaders faced tough choices, often without clear roadmaps. Many organizations reassessed, recalibrated, and, in some cases, pulled back their inclusion initiatives. Beneath the surface, something else was happening, too: quiet shifts, strategic pivots, moves away from one-off programs and toward systemic, embedded change.² Inclusion became less about visibility and more about durability and business outcomes.

This report captures that moment. It doesn’t offer a single narrative: it offers nine trends. Each is a lens into how inclusion is evolving or emerging in response to the questions organizations are asking.

How to cite: Inclusion works: 2026 global trends report. (2025). Catalyst.