Report · Nov 14, 2023
International Public Opinion on Climate Change, 2023
By Anthony Leiserowitz, Marija Verner, Emily Goddard, Emily Wood, Jennifer Carman, Natalia Ordaz Reynoso, Erik Thulin, Seth Rosenthal, Jennifer Marlon and Nicole Buttermore
Filed under: Beliefs & Attitudes, Behaviors & Actions, Policy & Politics and Climate Impacts
2. Worry and Perceived Risks Regarding Climate Change
2.1 A majority of respondents in nearly every area are worried about climate change.
A majority of respondents in nearly every area surveyed (108 out of 110) say they are either “very” or “somewhat” worried about climate change. More than nine in ten respondents in South Korea and Puerto Rico (both 93%), Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico and Ecuador (all 92%), and Portugal, Panama, Colombia, and Uruguay (all 91%) say they are worried. In contrast, just under half of respondents in the Netherlands (45%) and Yemen (47%) say they are worried about climate change.
2.2 Majorities in most areas think climate change will harm future generations “a great deal.”
A majority of respondents in about three-quarters of the areas surveyed (80 out of 110) think climate change will harm future generations “a great deal.” This ranged from eight in ten respondents in Puerto Rico (84%); Costa Rica (83%); Taiwan, Mexico, and El Salvador (all 81%); and Chile (80%) to about one quarter of respondents in Yemen (27%).
Comparing results by region (see Appendix II), respondents in South America are most likely to think climate change will harm future generations a great deal (majorities in 9 out of 9 areas), while respondents in Southwest Asia/North Africa are least likely (majorities in 6 out of 17 areas).
2.3 Majorities in relatively few areas think climate change will harm them personally “a great deal.”
Majorities of respondents in 24 out of 110 surveyed areas think climate change will harm them personally “a great deal.” Respondents are the most likely to say 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%).
Comparing results by region (see Appendix II), majorities in relatively few regions think climate change will harm them personally “a great deal.” Respondents are most likely to say that climate change will harm them personally a great deal in South America (majorities in 6 out of 9 areas) and are least likely in Southwest Asia/North Africa (majorities in zero areas).
2.4 Climate change is personally important to respondents in most areas.
A majority of respondents in about three-quarters of the surveyed areas (81 of 110) say the issue of climate change is either “extremely” or “very” important to them personally. 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.
Comparing results by region (see Appendix II), respondents in South America and Sub-Saharan Africa are most likely to say that climate change is important to them personally, with majorities in all areas saying so. Respondents in Southwest Asia/North Africa (majorities in 8 out of 17 areas) and Europe (16 out of 31 areas) are least likely.
