Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Majorities of Americans say that the federal government is doing too little to protect key areas of the environment. Overall, 63% of U.S. adults say the federal government is doing too little to protect the quality of lakes, rivers and streams. Just 7% say too much is being done here, while 29% say the federal […]
More than four-in-ten Democratic voters (44%) are Hispanic, Black, Asian, another race or multiracial, up from 23% in 1996.
Democrats hold the edge on many issues, but more Americans agree with Republicans on the economy, crime and immigration. Inflation remains the top concern for Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, with 77% saying it is a very big problem. For Democrats and Democratic leaners, gun violence is the top concern, with about 81% saying it is a very big problem.
Among U.S. adults who don’t have children, those ages 50 and older have mixed views on whether they ever wanted to have them in the first place. And their reasons for never having kids differ from those given by younger adults who say they’re unlikely to have them. The top reason cited by those ages […]
Most Americans say the Earth is getting warmer, including a narrow majority (53%) who say it is mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Most also view global climate change as an extremely or very serious problem. Assessing potential consequences, 62% foresee rising numbers of extreme weather events, and 58% think an […]
Most Americans see little ability for the U.S. and China to cooperate on climate change policy or combating the spread of infectious disease. A majority of Americans continue to view the China-Russia partnership as a very serious problem for the U.S.
Evangelical Protestant adults under 40 are more likely than older evangelicals to say climate change is an extremely or very serious problem.
CORRECTION (May 23, 2024): A previous version of this report listed an incorrect figure for Hispanic Americans who regularly attend religious services and say they have heard at least a little about climate change in sermons. This has been updated and does not substantively affect the findings of this report. While many Americans tie their […]
Most U.S. adults – including a solid majority of Christians and large numbers of people who identify with other religious traditions – consider the Earth sacred and believe God gave humans a duty to care for it. But highly religious Americans are far less likely than other U.S. adults to express concern about warming temperatures around the globe.
Americans now see reducing the budget deficit as a higher priority for the president and Congress to address than in recent years. But strengthening the economy continues to be the public’s top policy priority.
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