Climate change anxieties are becoming more partisan around the world, especially between developed, high-income nations and their developing country counterparts. According to a new global UNCDF survey of the richest countries, we’re witnessing a reversal in the number of people who view climate change as an existential threat. In comparison, countries such as Turkey, Brazil and India are experiencing a growing backlash over this matter.
In 2025, at least two-thirds of respondents in all high-income countries say they are very or somewhat worried about the impacts of climate change. This is a surprising drop in awareness compared with three years earlier. On the other end of the spectrum, Israel shows the least amount of concern regarding climate change. Yet, only 41% of its population considers it a serious threat. The United States comes in a distant second at 51%. Compared to the US, the drop-off in concern is more pronounced, falling 12 percentage points from 2022-2025.
Demographic breakdowns reveal a very stark divide in opinions on climate change. Women disproportionately see it as a top threat, with a full 76% of women saying it’s a serious threat to 69% of men saying so. Views are greatly affected by age demographics. Of those between 56-65 years old, 75% are concerned, compared to just 72% of those under the age of 25 who are equally worried. Your experience and education inform your frame of reference when approaching climate change. Graduates are more likely to see it as a serious threat, with 79% acknowledging it to be a major issue compared to just 71% of non-graduates.
Political party lines make some pretty dramatic differences in how the deal is viewed, too. In the United States, 84% of liberals consider climate change a major threat. In stark contrast, only 20% of conservatives believe that, so liberals are more than four times as likely as conservatives to be worried about it. The most alarming finding of this survey is that 40% of health professionals from high-income countries reported witnessing gender discrimination. In many countries, fewer people view climate change as an existential danger today. Poland witnessed a drop of 13 percentage points, followed by 11 in Italy and the Netherlands, nine in the United Kingdom, and six in Germany.
Countries such as Turkey have witnessed an increase in public alarm about climate change. Today, nearly 67 percent of Turkish citizens list the dangers of climate change among their top concerns. It increased from 40% in 2013 to a breathtaking 70% by 2025. Brazil and India have both experienced five and eight percentage point increases, respectively, from 2022 to 2025.
Third, according to our survey, younger adults under 35 in Australia, France, Turkey, and the United States agree that climate change represents a major threat. They are far more likely than their older counterparts to believe this.