This report describes climate change beliefs, attitudes, policy preferences, and behaviors among Facebook users in 110 countries, territories, and geographic groups (hereafter referred to as “areas”). Overall, these 110 areas represent 187 countries and territories worldwide.The complete list of countries and territories surveyed, including the countries and territories included in each geographic group, are provided in Appendix I. The survey was developed by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, Data for Good at Meta, and Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment, and was fielded by Meta from August 3 – September 3, 2023. Among the key findings at the global level:
Climate Change Knowledge, Beliefs, and Engagement
- Knowledge about climate change: Respondents in Finland (89%) and Hungary (85%) are the most likely to say they know “a lot” or “a moderate amount” about climate change. In contrast, respondents in Benin and Haiti (both 36%) are the most likely to say they have “never heard of” climate change.
- Climate change is happening: After being given a short definition of climate change, respondents in El Salvador (94%), Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Armenia, Nicaragua (all 93%), and Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Colombia (all 92%) are the most likely to think climate change is happening, while respondents in Haiti (64%); Australia and the Netherlands (both 70%); and Laos and Austria (both 71%) are the least likely.
- Climate change is human-caused: Respondents in Portugal (61%), Spain (59%), and Finland (57%) are the most likely to think that climate change is mostly caused by human activities, while respondents in Haiti (18%) and Indonesia (20%) are the least likely.
Worry and Perceived Risks Regarding Climate Change
- Worry about climate change: Respondents in South Korea and Puerto Rico (both 93%), and Costa Rica and El Salvador (both 92%) are the most likely to say they are either “very worried” or “somewhat worried” about climate change, while respondents from the Netherlands (45%) and Yemen (47%) are the least likely.
- Climate change will harm future generations: Respondents in Puerto Rico (84%) and Costa Rica (83%) are the most likely to say that climate change will harm future generations “a great deal,” while respondents in Yemen (27%) are the least likely to say so.
- Climate change will be personally harmful: Respondents are the most likely to say that climate change will harm them personally “a great deal” in El Salvador (66%) and Puerto Rico, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, and Malawi (all 61%), and the least likely to say so in the Czech Republic and Finland (both 5%), and the Netherlands (7%).
- Personal importance of climate change: Respondents in El Salvador (87%) and Mozambique (85%) are the most likely to say that climate change is either “extremely” or “very” important to them personally, while respondents in the Netherlands (19%) and Jordan (28%) are the least likely to say so.
Support for Action on Climate Change
- Climate change as a government priority: Respondents in Puerto Rico (92%) and El Salvador (90%) are the most likely to say that climate change should be either a “very high” or “high” priority for their government, while respondents in Yemen (38%) and Turkey (45%) are the least likely to say so.