From March 19 to April 16, 2025, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and CVoter conducted a nationally representative survey of 2,164 Indian adults (18+). The study was designed to investigate current public climate change awareness, beliefs, attitudes, policy support, behavior, and self-reported vulnerability to extreme weather events.
This study builds on our prior Climate Change in the Indian Mind surveys, which were conducted in November to December, 2011 (n = 4,031), October 2021 to January 2022 (n = 4,619), and September to November 2023 (n = 2,178). We also include data from our survey on Climate Impacts and Attribution in India, which was conducted from December 2024 to February 2025 (n = 10,751). Where applicable, we describe differences in opinion among the Indian public since our previous surveys.
Among the key findings of this report:
Global Warming Awareness and Beliefs
- 44% of people in India say they know either “just a little” about global warming (17%) or have never heard of it (27%), while only 17% say they know “a lot.”
- However, when given a short definition of global warming and how it affects weather patterns, 96% say they think global warming is happening.
- 58% think global warming is caused mostly by human activities, while 34% think it is caused mostly by natural changes in the environment.
- When asked about specific causes of global warming, 82% understand that vehicles that use petrol or diesel cause global warming “a lot” or “some.” Additionally, 61% understand that electricity power plants that use coal or propane cause global warming. However, only 26% think that raising animals for food causes global warming. Meanwhile, 84% think that plastic pollution (which is not a major source of greenhouse gas emissions) causes global warming, while 37% attribute global warming to Gods’ will.
- 89% say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming.
- Majorities think global warming affects weather in their local area (79%) and monsoons in India (83%) either “a lot” or “some.”
Global Warming Risk Perceptions
- 90% of people in India are worried about global warming, including 58% who are “very worried.”
- Large majorities think global warming will harm future generations of people (89%), people in India (88%), plant and animal species (84%), people in their own community (81%), and themselves and their own family (81%).
- 66% think people in India are already being harmed by global warming.
- Half or more think global warming will cause “many more” severe heat waves (76%), extinctions of plant and animal species (69%), droughts and water shortages (69%), agricultural pests and diseases (67%), severe cyclones (66%), days with severe air pollution (66%), famines and food shortages (59%), and severe floods (52%).
- 94% say global warming is either “extremely” (44%), “very” (34%), or “somewhat” important (17%) to them personally.
Support for Climate and Energy Policies
- 78% of people in India say the government of India should be doing more to address global warming.
- 86% favor the Indian government’s commitment to reduce India’s carbon pollution to nearly zero by 2070.
- 87% say transitioning from coal to wind and solar energy to produce electricity will reduce air pollution, and 85% say doing so would reduce global warming. However, about half believe it will cause electricity outages (56%), increase unemployment in India (55%), or will increase electricity prices (54%).
- 65% say leaving most of India’s coal in the ground is the best pathway to a healthy, safe, and prosperous future for India.
- 84% favor banning the construction of new coal power plants, closing existing ones, and replacing them with solar and wind energy.
- Large majorities favor specific policies:
- A national program to train people for new jobs in the renewable energy industry such as wind and solar (94%).
- A national program to teach all Indians about global warming (93%).
- A national program to fund women’s groups and Indigenous communities to protect the environment (89%).
- Preserving or expanding forested areas, even if this means less land for agriculture or housing (79%).
- Requiring new buildings to waste less water and energy, even if this increases their cost (76%).
Social Engagement with Global Warming
- 83% of Indians say they follow environmental issues in the news, and 81% say they discuss environmental issues with their family and friends.
- However, only 38% say they hear about global warming in the media at least once a week.
Climate Activism
- 16% of people in India say in the past year, they have participated in social demonstrations – such as strikes, gheraos, rasta rokos, or bands – to demand that leaders in India take action to reduce global warming.
- 73% say they would be willing to participate in social demonstrations if someone they like and respect asked them to, including 58% who say they “definitely would.”
Vulnerability and Resilience
- 63% of people in India say they usually receive warnings ahead of time when an extreme weather event (such as a heat wave, flood, or cyclone) happens in their local area. This includes about half who say they receive warnings from television (53%) or family, friends, or neighbors (51%).
- However, 36% say they do not receive warnings at all.
- 64% say it would take their household several months or more to recover from a severe flood, and 74% say it would take several months or more to recover from a severe drought.
- 30% say they have either already moved or considered moving because of weather-related disasters such as extreme heat, droughts, sea-level rise, or flooding.
- 16% say they have an air conditioner at home, and 11% say their home has solar panels that generate electricity.
- 35% say they had to go without enough clean drinking water for at least one day in the past year.
- More than half say their income does not cover their needs and they either have “some difficulties” (27%) or “great difficulties” (33%) as a result.
- 43% say they have no friends or relatives they could count on for help if they were in trouble.