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The Short Answer
Are Americans Concerned About Global Warming?
The Short Answer

Are Americans Concerned About Global Warming?

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Close to two thirds of U.S. adults are concerned about global warming, with 43% worrying about it "a great deal" and 22% "a fair amount." Â鶹´«Ã½AV also finds 43% of Americans believing that global warming will pose a serious threat to themselves or their way of life in their lifetime, underscoring that roughly four in 10 harbor strong concern.

Americans' Concern About Global Warming
  March 1-15, 2021
  %
Amount personally worry about global warming  
A great deal 43
A fair amount 22
Only a little 18
Not at all 17
Think global warming will pose serious threat in own lifetime  
Yes 43
No 57
Full question wordings:
I'm going to read you a list of environmental problems. As I read each one, please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. Global warming.
Do you think that global warming will pose a serious threat to you or your way of life in your lifetime?
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The latest results, from a March 1-15, 2021 Â鶹´«Ã½AV poll, predate the . However, they likely remain relevant today given that Americans' concern about global warming and perceptions of its effects in their lifetime have tended to be slow moving attitudes, with little change seen over the past five years. Prior to that, concern had increased gradually from 2011 to 2017.

Longer term, worry about global warming has run hot and cold since Â鶹´«Ã½AV first asked about it in 1989.

Concerns_v2

Line graph. Trend from 1989 to 2021 in percentage of U.S. adults worried a great deal or fair amount about global warming. Trend from 1997 to 2021 in percentage of U.S. adults who believe global warming will pose a serious threat to them in their lifetime. Concern has ranged from a low of 50% in 1997 to a high of 72% in 1999. It is currently 65%, which is consistent with the level seen annually since 2016. Belief global warming will pose a serious threat increased from 25% in 1997 to 40% in 2007. It then fell to 32% in 2010 but has since gradually increased and is 43% today.

A 2017 Â鶹´«Ã½AV article reviewing these trends details some of the potential reasons for shifts in the U.S. public's views on global warming, historically.

Do Americans Think Humans Are Responsible for Global Warming?

Currently, 64% of Americans believe increases in the Earth's temperature over the past century are due mainly to "the effects of pollution from human activities." The remaining third (34%) ascribe them to "natural changes in the environment that are not due to human activities."

Attitudes about the cause of global warming have been fairly flat since 2016, while from 2008 to 2015, fewer than six in 10 each year believed humans were responsible. The full trend is available on Â鶹´«Ã½AV's Environment A-Z page.

Concern Varies by Demographic and Political Factors

Public concern about global warming -- the percentage worried a great deal or fair amount -- exceeds 50% among most major demographic subgroups of Americans. Republicans are the only exception, with about a third worried. Still, the level of concern varies significantly by gender, age, education, race/ethnicity and region, with women, younger adults, postgraduates, non-White adults and Eastern residents expressing greater worry than their counterparts.

The accompanying table provides these subgroup findings, as well as the percentages thinking global warming will pose a serious risk in their lifetime and the percentages ascribing global warming to human activities. The figures are based on combined data from Â鶹´«Ã½AV's annual Environment surveys from 2017 through 2021, a period marked by relative stability in all three attitudes.

Views About Global Warming Among U.S. Subgroups
Based on 2017-2021 combined data
  Worry a great deal/Fair amount Yes, will pose serious risk Caused by pollution/human activities Sample size
  % % % n
U.S. adults 65 44 65 5,127
Gender  
Men 59 38 60 2,782
Women 70 50 70 2,345
Age  
18 to 29 78 61 81 732
30 to 49 67 50 68 1,292
50 to 64 57 39 57 1,353
65 and older 60 26 56 1,679
Education  
No college 66 45 62 1,109
Some college 61 39 62 1,636
College graduate only 65 46 70 1,290
Postgraduate 71 51 72 1,058
Party ID  
Republicans 32 15 35 1,483
Independents 67 47 68 2,030
Democrats 91 65 88 1,522
Race/Ethnicity  
White adults 57 34 60 3,749
Black adults 81 59 72 479
Hispanic adults 84 70 79 534
Region  
East 74 48 70 1,053
Midwest 61 38 62 1,061
South 60 44 60 1,796
West 68 47 71 1,217
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Â鶹´«Ã½AV measures public attitudes about global warming each March as part of its Environment poll -- one of 12 surveys that make up the .

Explore more Â鶹´«Ã½AV articles about global warming on the Environment Topics page.

Explore Â鶹´«Ã½AV questions and trends about global warming on Â鶹´«Ã½AV's Topics A-Z: Environment page.


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