- Climate change opinion by country
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For more about opinion in general, see Public opinion on climate change.
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. Gallup 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 activityPerceived
as threatAfghanistan 25 29 18 Algeria 56 54 46 Angola 43 70 38 Argentina 76 81 71 Armenia 78 28 65 Australia 97 54 75 Austria 95 51 54 Azerbaijan 58 42 43 Bangladesh 33 62 32 Belarus 80 48 30 Belgium 89 50 68 Belize 53 59 45 Benin 21 46 15 Bolivia 55 73 51 Botswana 38 26 30 Brazil 79 80 76 Burkina Faso 36 52 34 Burundi 22 38 20 Cambodia 58 34 51 Cameroon 49 52 32 Canada 95 61 74 Central African Republic 56 58 37 Chad 45 31 38 Chile 73 78 69 China 62 58 21 Colombia 68 77 65 Costa Rica 75 87 72 Czech Republic 87 52 39 Democratic Republic of the Congo 53 52 41 Denmark 90 49 40 Djibouti 43 62 35 Dominican Republic 50 52 46 Ecuador 70 81 69 Egypt 25 60 21 El Salvador 55 75 51 Estonia 88 46 32 Ethiopia 80 56 73 Finland 98 53 39 France 93 63 75 Georgia 62 37 47 Germany 96 59 60 Ghana 26 51 19 Greece 87 84 82 Guatemala 57 72 51 Guinea 55 40 43 Guyana 67 36 56 Haiti 46 38 35 Honduras 62 58 57 Hong Kong 93 78 54 Hungary 93 65 75 Iceland 95 38 33 India 35 53 29 Indonesia 39 55 33 Iran 55 62 43 Iraq 55 38 28 Ireland 94 66 60 Israel 86 63 62 Italy 84 65 76 Japan 99 91 80 Jordan 62 53 51 Kazakhstan 60 54 35 Kenya 56 59 49 Kyrgyzstan 52 42 39 Laos 80 65 49 Latvia 91 54 37 Lebanon 64 64 54 Liberia 15 41 13 Lithuania 91 50 47 Luxembourg 95 60 75 Madagascar 49 67 46 Malaysia 71 63 50 Mali 53 72 48 Malta 75 68 64 Mauritania 44 48 35 Mexico 67 71 63 Moldova 83 48 73 Mongolia 75 54 30 Morocco 30 68 29 Mozambique 54 53 48 Namibia 46 49 35 Nepal 37 48 32 Netherlands 96 44 57 Nicaragua 53 66 49 Niger 24 35 21 Nigeria 28 27 18 Norway 97 47 43 Pakistan 34 25 24 Palestine 67 50 55 Panama 65 73 61 Paraguay 58 79 54 Peru 62 72 58 Philippines 47 72 42 Poland 84 58 54 Portugal 90 79 85 Qatar 64 39 43 Republic of the Congo 41 58 31 Romania 81 60 66 Russia 85 52 39 Rwanda 30 44 22 Saudi Arabia 49 39 40 Senegal 36 27 33 Sierra Leone 36 31 24 Singapore 84 44 59 South Africa 31 29 21 South Korea 93 92 80 Spain 85 71 69 Sri Lanka 73 63 65 Sudan 47 69 42 Sweden 96 64 56 Syria 56 54 41 Taiwan 91 70 70 Tajikistan 43 81 19 Tanzania 53 15 48 Thailand 88 55 61 Togo 29 43 23 Trinidad and Tobago 72 76 71 Tunisia 60 50 46 Turkey 74 70 66 Uganda 35 66 30 Ukraine 79 51 52 United Kingdom 97 48 69 United States 97 49 63 Uruguay 73 75 68 Uzbekistan 53 18 38 Venezuela 63 65 62 Vietnam 73 49 53 Zambia 27 43 18 Zimbabwe 52 41 36 References
- Pelham, Brett (22 Apr 2009). "Awareness, Opinions About Global Warming Vary Worldwide". Gallup. http://www.gallup.com/poll/117772/Awareness-Opinions-Global-Warming-Vary-Worldwide.aspx. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (22 Sep 2009). "A Heated Debate: Global Attitudes Toward Climate Change" (Subscription required). Harvard International Review. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-212873407.html. Retrieved 19 Jan 2010.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (7 Dec 2009). "Top-Emitting Countries Differ on Climate Change Threat". Gallup. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124595/Top-Emitting-Countries-Differ-Climate-Change-Threat.aspx. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- Pugliese, Anita; Ray, Julie (11 Dec 2009). "Awareness of Climate Change and Threat Vary by Region". Gallup. http://www.gallup.com/poll/124652/Awareness-Climate-Change-Threat-Vary-Region.aspx. Retrieved 22 Dec 2009.
- World Development Indicators database (15 Sep 2009). "Population 2008". World Bank. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DATASTATISTICS/Resources/POP.pdf. Retrieved 18 Jan 2010.
Categories:- Global warming
- Public opinion
- Climate change by country
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