Americans express relatively little concern over global warming, especially when compared with publics of other major nations. Barely half of the Americans who have heard of global warming say they personally worry about the issue a great deal (19%) or a fair amount (34%). Nearly as many say they worry only a little (26%) or not at all (21%). The Japanese express the highest level of concern about global warming among the publics of major industrialized nations. Fully 66% of Japanese say they worry about this a great deal, while another 27% say they worry a fair amount. In France, a combined 87% express a great deal (46%) or fair amount (41%) of concern. Roughly the same percentage in Spain (85%) says they worry at least a fair amount about global warming. Smaller percentages in Great Britain (67%), Germany (64%) and China (61%) voice significant concern about global warming. The American public is deeply divided politically on the global warming issue. Only about a third of Republicans (34%) say they worry a great deal (10%) or a fair amount (24%) about global warming, based on those who have heard about the issue. About two-thirds of Democrats (66%) and 57% of independents express at least a fair amount of concern over global warming. Roughly four-in-ten white evangelical Protestants (41%) express have at least a fair amount of concern about global warming; that compares with 53% of white mainline Protestants, and 64% of seculars. Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.