Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison

The report uses the Six Americas Super Short Survey (SASSY) to categorize Facebook users in 110 countries and territories into six groups: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive. The 'Alarmed' group is the largest in approximately 80 of the surveyed locations, with the highest percentages found in Chile (65%), Mexico (64%), Malawi (63%), Bolivia (62%), and Sri Lanka (61%). Conversely, the United States exhibits a higher proportion of 'Doubtful' and 'Dismissive' respondents (22%) compared to other major carbon emitters and is less 'Alarmed' (34%) than many of its peers. Regional analysis shows South America has the highest proportion of countries with a majority of 'Alarmed' respondents, while Southwest Asia and North Africa show higher levels of doubt or dismissal, particularly in Yemen (34%).

• The 'Alarmed' audience—those who view climate change as an urgent, human-caused threat and support climate policies—is the most prevalent group in about 73% of the surveyed countries and territories (80 out of 110). In 29 countries, at least 50% of respondents are Alarmed, with the highest concentrations in Chile (65%), Mexico (64%), Malawi (63%), Bolivia (62%), and Sri Lanka (61%).
• Among the world's top carbon-emitting nations, the United States has a notably higher proportion of 'Doubtful' and 'Dismissive' respondents (22%) than other major emitters. The U.S. is also less 'Alarmed' (34%) than other top emitters like Mexico (64%), Brazil (59%), and India (55%), and shares one of the lowest percentages of Alarmed respondents with Germany (34%).
• Regional variations in climate attitudes are significant: South America has the highest frequency of countries where a majority of the population is 'Alarmed' (6 out of 9 countries), while the region of Southwest Asia and North Africa shows high levels of skepticism, with Yemen reporting 34% of respondents as 'Doubtful' or 'Dismissive'.
• The survey identifies specific national extremes in climate attitudes, such as Czechia and Yemen having the lowest percentages of 'Alarmed' respondents (both 9%), and the United States, Saudi Arabia (17%), and Australia (16%) having the highest percentages of 'Doubtful' or 'Dismissive' respondents.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2023). Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/global-warmings-six-audiences-a-cross-national-comparison/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison. 2023. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/global-warmings-six-audiences-a-cross-national-comparison/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison |date=1 August 2023 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/global-warmings-six-audiences-a-cross-national-comparison/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2023global, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Global Warming’s Six Audiences: A Cross-National Comparison}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2023}, month = aug, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/global-warmings-six-audiences-a-cross-national-comparison/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }