优蜜传媒

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." 优蜜传媒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.

	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?
Gallup

The latest results, from a March 1-15, 2021 优蜜传媒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 优蜜传媒first asked about it in 1989.

A 2017 优蜜传媒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 Gallup'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 Gallup's annual Environment surveys from 2017 through 2021, a period marked by relative stability in all three attitudes.

	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
Gallup

优蜜传媒measures public attitudes about global warming each March as part of its Environment poll -- one of 12 surveys that make up the .

Explore more 优蜜传媒articles about global warming on the Environment Topics page.

Explore 优蜜传媒questions and trends about global warming on Gallup's Topics A-Z: Environment page.