Climate change opinion by country
| This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. (July 2012) |
Climate change opinion is the aggregate of public opinion held by the adult population. Cost constraints often restrict surveys to sample only one or two countries from each continent or focus on only one region. Because of differences among questions, wording, and methods—it is difficult to reliably compare results or to generalize them to opinions held world-wide.
In 2007–2008, the Gallup Poll surveyed individuals from 128 countries in the first comprehensive study of global opinions. The Gallup Organization aggregated opinion from the adult population fifteen years of age and older, either through the telephone or personal interviews, and in both rural and urban areas except in areas where the safety of interviewer was threatened and in scarcely populated islands. Personal interviews were stratified by population size or geography and cluster sampling was achieved through one or more stages. Although error bounds vary, they are all below ±6% with 95% confidence.
Weighting countries to a 2008 World Bank population estimate, sixty-one percent of individuals world-wide are aware of global warming, developed countries more aware than developing, with Africa the least aware. Latin America and developed countries in Asia lead the belief that climate change is a result of human activities while Africa, parts of Asia and the Middle East, and a few countries from the Former Soviet Union lead in the opposite. Awareness often translates to concern, although of those aware, individuals Europe and develop countries in Asia perceive global warming as a greater threat than others.
- Awareness
- Knowing "something" or a "great deal" about global warming when asked "How much do you know about global warming or climate change?"
- Caused by human activity
- Responding yes when asked, "Temperature rise is part of global warming or climate change. Do you think rising temperatures are [...] a result of human activities?"
- Perceived as threat
- Responding that global warming is a serious personal threat.
| Country | Awareness | Caused by human activity |
Perceived as threat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 29 | 18 | |
| 56 | 54 | 46 | |
| 43 | 70 | 38 | |
| 76 | 81 | 71 | |
| 78 | 28 | 65 | |
| 97 | 54 | 75 | |
| 95 | 51 | 54 | |
| 58 | 42 | 43 | |
| 33 | 62 | 32 | |
| 80 | 48 | 30 | |
| 89 | 50 | 68 | |
| 53 | 59 | 45 | |
| 21 | 46 | 15 | |
| 55 | 73 | 51 | |
| 38 | 26 | 30 | |
| 79 | 80 | 76 | |
| 36 | 52 | 34 | |
| 22 | 38 | 20 | |
| 58 | 34 | 51 | |
| 49 | 52 | 32 | |
| 95 | 61 | 74 | |
| 56 | 58 | 37 | |
| 45 | 31 | 38 | |
| 73 | 78 | 69 | |
| 62 | 58 | 21 | |
| 68 | 77 | 65 | |
| 75 | 87 | 72 | |
| 87 | 52 | 39 | |
| 53 | 52 | 41 | |
| 90 | 49 | 40 | |
| 43 | 62 | 35 | |
| 50 | 52 | 46 | |
| 70 | 81 | 69 | |
| 25 | 60 | 21 | |
| 55 | 75 | 51 | |
| 88 | 46 | 32 | |
| 80 | 56 | 73 | |
| 98 | 53 | 39 | |
| 93 | 63 | 75 | |
| 62 | 37 | 47 | |
| 96 | 59 | 60 | |
| 26 | 51 | 19 | |
| 87 | 84 | 82 | |
| 57 | 72 | 51 | |
| 55 | 40 | 43 | |
| 67 | 36 | 56 | |
| 46 | 38 | 35 | |
| 62 | 58 | 57 | |
| 93 | 78 | 54 | |
| 93 | 65 | 75 | |
| 95 | 38 | 33 | |
| 35 | 53 | 29 | |
| 39 | 55 | 33 | |
| 55 | 62 | 43 | |
| 55 | 38 | 28 | |
| 94 | 66 | 60 | |
| 86 | 63 | 62 | |
| 84 | 65 | 76 | |
| 99 | 91 | 80 | |
| 62 | 53 | 51 | |
| 60 | 54 | 35 | |
| 56 | 59 | 49 | |
| 52 | 42 | 39 | |
| 80 | 65 | 49 | |
| 91 | 54 | 37 | |
| 64 | 64 | 54 | |
| 15 | 41 | 13 | |
| 91 | 50 | 47 | |
| 95 | 60 | 75 | |
| 49 | 67 | 46 | |
| 71 | 63 | 50 | |
| 53 | 72 | 48 | |
| 75 | 68 | 64 | |
| 44 | 48 | 35 | |
| 67 | 71 | 63 | |
| 83 | 48 | 73 | |
| 75 | 54 | 30 | |
| 30 | 68 | 29 | |
| 54 | 53 | 48 | |
| 46 | 49 | 35 | |
| 37 | 48 | 32 | |
| 96 | 44 | 57 | |
| 53 | 66 | 49 | |
| 24 | 35 | 21 | |
| 28 | 27 | 18 | |
| 97 | 47 | 43 | |
| 34 | 25 | 24 | |
| 67 | 50 | 55 | |
| 65 | 73 | 61 | |
| 58 | 79 | 54 | |
| 62 | 72 | 58 | |
| 47 | 72 | 42 | |
| 84 | 58 | 54 | |
| 90 | 79 | 85 | |
| 64 | 39 | 43 | |
| 41 | 58 | 31 | |
| 81 | 60 | 66 | |
| 85 | 52 | 39 | |
| 30 | 44 | 22 | |
| 49 | 39 | 40 | |
| 36 | 27 | 33 | |
| 36 | 31 | 24 | |
| 84 | 44 | 59 | |
| 31 | 29 | 21 | |
| 93 | 92 | 80 | |
| 85 | 71 | 69 | |
| 73 | 63 | 65 | |
| 47 | 69 | 42 | |
| 96 | 64 | 56 | |
| 56 | 54 | 41 | |
| 91 | 70 | 70 | |
| 43 | 81 | 19 | |
| 53 | 15 | 48 | |
| 88 | 55 | 61 | |
| 29 | 43 | 23 | |
| 72 | 76 | 71 | |
| 60 | 50 | 46 | |
| 74 | 70 | 66 | |
| 35 | 66 | 30 | |
| 79 | 51 | 52 | |
| 97 | 48 | 69 | |
| 97 | 49 | 63 | |
| 73 | 75 | 68 | |
| 53 | 18 | 38 | |
| 63 | 65 | 62 | |
| 73 | 49 | 53 | |
| 27 | 43 | 18 | |
| 52 | 41 | 36 |
References [edit]
- Pelham, Brett (22 Apr 2009). "Awareness, Opinions About Global Warming Vary Worldwide". Gallup. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (22 Sep 2009). "A Heated Debate: Global Attitudes Toward Climate Change" (Subscription required). Harvard International Review. Retrieved 19 Jan 2010.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (7 Dec 2009). "Top-Emitting Countries Differ on Climate Change Threat". Gallup. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (11 Dec 2009). "Awareness of Climate Change and Threat Vary by Region". Gallup. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- World Development Indicators database (15 Sep 2009). "Population 2008". World Bank. Retrieved 18 Jan 2010.