Top Public Worries in the U.S.

Based on a May 2025 survey of 1,040 adults, the report finds that government corruption (54%), the cost of living (48%), and the economy (47%) are the top worries for Americans. In contrast, only 29% of the general population is very worried about global warming. The study highlights deep polarization: the 'Alarmed' group is highly concerned about climate change (92%), while the 'Doubtful' and 'Dismissive' groups report 0% high concern. The report suggests that climate communicators can broaden appeal by connecting climate action to economic opportunities, energy costs, and government accountability.

• The most prevalent high-level worries among Americans are government corruption, the cost of living, and the economy, with approximately half of the population reporting they are 'very worried' about each.
• Public concern regarding global warming is significantly lower than other top issues and is highly polarized across the 'Six Americas' segments: 92% of the 'Alarmed' are very worried, while 0% of the 'Doubtful' and 'Dismissive' groups express the same level of concern.
• Worry levels vary by political affiliation, with Liberal Democrats showing the highest overall concern (81% for the state of democracy and 77% for government corruption), while Conservative Republicans are primarily worried about illegal immigration (55%).
• Individuals identifying with the 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement generally report lower levels of worry across most categories, except for crime and illegal immigration, where they report higher worry than other respondents.
• The report argues that climate communication can be more effective by framing climate action as a means to address broader public anxieties, such as reducing energy costs, creating economic opportunities, or ensuring the stability of federal government services.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2025). Top Public Worries in the U.S. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/top-public-worries-in-the-u-s/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Top Public Worries in the U.S. 2025. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/top-public-worries-in-the-u-s/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Top Public Worries in the U.S. |date=15 September 2025 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/top-public-worries-in-the-u-s/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2025top, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Top Public Worries in the U.S.}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/top-public-worries-in-the-u-s/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }