Global Warming Age Gap: Younger Americans Most Worried

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Public concern about global warming is evident across all age groups in the U.S., with majorities of younger and older Americans saying they worry about the problem a great deal or fair amount. However, the extent to which Americans take global warming seriously and worry about it differs markedly by age, with adults under age 35 typically much more engaged with the problem than those 55 and older.

	18 to 34	35 to 54	55 and older	Age gap (18 to 34 minus 55+)
	%	%	%	pct. pts.
Think global warming will pose a serious threat in your lifetime	51	47	29	22
Think global warming is caused by human activities	75	62	55	20
Think problem of global warming is underestimated in the news	48	38	31	17
Think most scientists believe global warming is occurring	73	69	58	15
Worry a great deal/fair amount about global warming	70	63	56	14
Think effects of global warming already begun	62	63	54	8
Understand global warming issue very/fairly well	82	80	76	6
Gallup

The biggest generational gap is visible in the belief that global warming will pose a serious threat in one's own lifetime. This clearly reflects the different timeframes involved for each age group; the older one gets, the less time in one's lifetime for global warming's effects to be realized.

The second-largest age gap comes with the belief that global warming is caused by human activities.

Younger adults are also significantly more likely to think news reports on global warming underestimate the problem. They are more likely to worry about the problem and to believe there is a scientific consensus that global warming is occurring.

Younger and older Americans come closest in agreement in their views that the effects of global warming have already begun, and in self-reports of understanding global warming.

These figures are based on combined data from Gallup's annual Environment polls from 2015 to 2018.

Several Factors Most Likely Drive the Age Gap

There are several potential reasons for these generational differences surrounding climate change. One, as is evident in particular on the question about global warming's effects in one's lifetime, results from the fact that older Americans may perceive that they will no longer be living when global warming changes the world more dramatically.

Another reason results from the relationship between age and party identification. Gallup has previously found a significant partisan divide on Americans' attitudes concerning global warming. This partisan gap may be reflected in the trend by age group, with younger Americans tending to tilt toward the Democratic Party, and thus being more likely to adopt the Democratic position on global warming.

Finally, younger people may have been exposed to more discussion about climate change and the environment in their more recent education experiences, while the issue was not on the educational agenda for many Americans who were in school decades ago.