No, the World Economic Forum didn't call for the elimination of white people | Fact check

The claim: The World Economic Forum called for the reduction of white people by 2030

A July 29 article by The People’s Voice (direct link, archive link) purports to share news about the World Economic Forum. 

“WEF Memo Reveals Plan to Depopulate the World of 1 Billion White People By 2030,” reads the article's headline.

The story was shared on Facebook more than 100 times in three days, according to social media analytics tool CrowdTangle.

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Our rating: False

The claim is baseless. A WEF spokesperson said the organization has never made such a declaration, and there is no credible evidence that such a memo exists. The People's Voice routinely publishes fabricated news.

WEF has 'never made such a statement'

The article states that, according to a purported WEF report, “white people are responsible for the vast majority of the world’s problems including climate change and colonialism, and in the interests of an equitable future for the globe, the number of white people must be reduced as a priority.”

The WEF thus "ordered global authorities" to reduce the white population, thereby proving the "Great Replacement" is real, according to the article. The "Great Replacement" is a baseless and racist conspiracy theory that falsely claims people of color are trying to replace the white population and diminish their political power.

But there is no credible evidence that the international nonprofit organization has plans to depopulate the Earth of white people. There is no record of any memo announcing such a plan on the organization's website, and there are no credible news reports about such a memo or plan.

“The World Economic Forum has never made such a statement. These claims are completely made up,” WEF spokesperson Yann Zopf told USA TODAY. "The World Economic Forum’s aim is to bring together global leaders and stakeholders from all parts of society to tackle together the most pressing issues affecting the world."

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USA TODAY has debunked several false claims about the WEF from The People’s Voice, formerly known as News Punch, including that the WEF ordered governments to start rationing water, that the WEF banned natural human conception and that a WEF official said “dangerous conspiracy theorists must be eliminated.”

USA TODAY reached out to The People's Voice but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Yann Zopf, July 31, Email exchange with USA TODAY
• Southern Poverty Law Center, May 17, 2022, The Racist 'Great Replacement' Theory' ' Conspiracy Theory Explained
• World Economic Forum, accessed July 31, Our Mission

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