A recent survey by Monmouth University shows a decline in the number of Americans who see climate change as a “very serious” problem compared to three years ago. The poll, conducted in April, indicates that 46% of Americans now consider climate change to be a very serious issue, down from 56% in September 2021. Additionally, 66% of respondents view climate change as a problem that is either “very serious” or “somewhat serious,” a slight decrease from 70% in 2021.
Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, attributes this trend to a reduced sense of urgency among Americans. This decrease in urgency is particularly notable among young people aged 18-34, where there has been a 17-point drop in those who consider climate change very serious, from 67% in 2021 to 50% now.
Other age groups also show declines: adults aged 35-54 dropped from 48% to 44%, and those aged 55 and older decreased from 54% to 44%.
The trend spans political affiliations as well. Among Democrats, the perception of climate change as a very serious problem has decreased by 8 points to 77%. For Republicans, it dropped from 21% to 13%, and among independents, it fell by 13 points to 43%.
There is also a slight increase in the number of Americans who believe climate change is not happening, rising from 18% in 2021 to 23% in 2024.
The poll surveyed 808 adults via phone interviews and online, with a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points​
