International Public Opinion on Climate Change

The report analyzes international public opinion on climate change, finding widespread belief that it is happening and a general desire for increased government action, though levels of worry and perceived personal risk vary significantly by country.

• While a majority of respondents in 15 of the 31 surveyed countries and territories claim to have at least a moderate knowledge of climate change, there are significant disparities. Australia (78%) and Germany (77%) show the highest levels of knowledge, whereas Nigeria (28%) and Malaysia (20%) have the highest proportions of people who have never heard of it.
• There is a global consensus that climate change is occurring, with the highest agreement in Costa Rica (94%), Brazil (92%), and Spain (92%), and the lowest in Indonesia (78%), Egypt (79%), and Saudi Arabia (79%). However, belief that it is primarily human-caused is less universal; only 13 countries saw a majority believe human activities are the main cause, with Spain (64%) and Italy (60%) leading and Indonesia (16%) trailing.
• Worry and perceived risk vary by region. Mexico (94%), Costa Rica (92%), and Colombia (91%) report the highest levels of worry, while Egypt (50%) and Nigeria (58%) report the lowest. Personal risk perception is highest in Vietnam and Mexico (both 83%) and lowest in the Czech Republic (28%) and the Netherlands (31%).
• There is broad international support for government prioritization of climate change and the Paris Climate Agreement. Support for the Paris agreement is highest in Costa Rica (96%) and lowest in the United States (74%). Mexico (91%), Colombia (89%), and Costa Rica (89%) are the most likely to believe climate change should be a high government priority.
• Public opinion favors a transition to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels, though the intensity varies. Support for increasing renewable energy is highest in Spain (91%), Costa Rica (90%), and Italy (90%). Support for reducing fossil fuel use is highest in Spain (76%) and the UK (75%), but a majority in Nigeria (54%) believe their country should increase fossil fuel use.
• Using the 'Six Americas' framework, the report finds that the 'Alarmed' group—those who see climate change as an urgent threat and support strong policy—is the largest group in 21 of the 31 countries. This group is most prominent in Costa Rica (64%) and Colombia (63%). The 'Dismissive' group is small globally, peaking in the United States at 11%.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (n.d.). International Public Opinion on Climate Change. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/06/international-climate-opinion-february-2021d.pdf

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. International Public Opinion on Climate Change. n.d. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/06/international-climate-opinion-february-2021d.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=International Public Opinion on Climate Change |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/06/international-climate-opinion-february-2021d.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunicationndinternational, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{International Public Opinion on Climate Change}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/app/uploads/2021/06/international-climate-opinion-february-2021d.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }