New polling from Gallup, a global polling service, has revealed that Americans are increasingly concerned about the climate crisis.
The polling was conducted as part of Gallup’s Environment Series, which occurred between March 3rd and 16th this year.
What the Gallup polling data tells us about Americans’ feelings about the climate crisis
Remarkably, it showed that, despite the current US government’s disinformation on the issue, more Americans are concerned about the impacts of climate change, a trend that was also observed a year ago.
Gallup: It is not a poll about whether climate change is happening or not
This survey was not about whether Americans believe climate change is happening or not.
But it focused on how serious they think it is and what the levels of concern are.
Historical context of how Americans view climate change
In 1997, only 25% of Americans believed that climate change would pose a serious threat to them or their way of life.
Since then, that figure has been trending upwards drastically.
Ahead of this year’s survey, it had reached an all-time high of 46% in 2023.
In 2024, this had dropped to 44%.
This year, Americans are more concerned about the climate crisis than last year
But this year it set a new all-time high, jumping four percentage points to 48%.
Gallup poll on the back of a series of US extreme weather events
The Gallup polling came after the US had battled a series of climate-fueled extreme weather events.
They have experienced unprecedented drought and wildfires in California, and extreme hurricanes in Florida, Texas, South Carolina and many other US areas.
The reality is that in the past year, hardly any US state has been shielded from extreme weather events.
Still, 51% of Americans remain unconcerned about climate impacts
While the survey data sets reveal that an increasing number of Americans are becoming concerned about the impacts of climate change, a majority remain unconcerned.
Analysts and climate advocates are concerned that, following a year of extreme weather events, most Americans have not changed their views.
Gallup: The majority of Americans believe that climate change is already happening
The question of when the climate impacts will occur also saw an all-time high number.
Climate change is happening now
At 63%, the majority of Americans believe that the impacts of climate change are already happening.
This is also up by four percentage points based on the data from last year.
It also represents an all-time high number.
But unlike the previous data set, it represents a much bumpier line.
The previous all-time high was 62% in 2017. However, the volatility of this dataset is illustrated by the 61% figure from 2008, which then underwent a three-year decline, dropping 12 percentage points to 49% by 2011.
Only in 2012 did the data start to gradually recover.
A concern for the future
23% thought that it would happen in the future.
The climate denial and sceptic group
But, only 12% thought it would never happen.
While the question as to whether climate change is happening or not was not asked, reading between the lines, you could get a sense of the climate denial mood.
The respondents who believe climate change will never happen are more likely to also reject the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change.
In the US, climate change is heavily politicised
In a country where the current government disagrees with the scientific consensus on climate change, the issue’s heavy polarisation is hardly surprising.
The political data
The Gallup data show that this issue is as polarised as ever.
In a nutshell, the data shows that Democrats and Independents exclusively drive the increased number of climate-concerned Americans.
Fewer Republicans are concerned about climate change
In 2024 and 2025, the percentage of Republicans who believe climate change will impact them in their lifetime remained constant at 14%.
However, between 2024 and 2025, the percentage on whether the impacts of climate change have already begun decreased from 35% to 31%.
A substantial increase among Independents and Democrats swings the pendulum
The answers to both questions among Independents increased from 49% to 52% and from 59% to 66%, respectively.
The increase was even higher for Democrats, increasing from 70% to 78% and 82% to 91%, respectively.
Not enough data to draw a conclusion
This dataset does not show whether more Americans accept the scientific consensus of climate change.
The increase in numbers is likely due to extreme weather events and may not necessarily mean that more people have become convinced about the science. Climate advocates would also find it a cause for concern that, despite recent extreme weather events in the US, the data numbers have not increased significantly.
The US informational and political reality
Additionally, it also underlines how climate change has become a political football, with Republicans as climate deniers and Democrats representing the opposite view.
A widening division
Far too little is being done to bridge the divide and create cross-party collaboration and policies on this toxic issue.
Disinformation and misinformation are at an all-time high
Furthermore, more than any other country in the world, disinformation and misinformation on this issue are at an all-time high.
The US government, together with the Republican Party and too many news organisations, are pumping out propaganda and inaccurate facts, with far too little of this being fact-checked.
The long-term climate trend
However, it does fit a long-term trend: an increasing number of Americans are accepting climate science and becoming increasingly concerned about its impact.
Other polls and surveys, such as the Six Americas carried out by the Yale Programme on Climate Communication, also conclude that climate change has become highly politically polarised in the US.
Anders Lorenzen is the founding Editor of A greener life, a greener world.
Discover more from A greener life, a greener world
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
