Majority across 34 countries describe effects of climate change in their community as severe

On average across 34 countries, more than half of all adults surveyed (56%) say climate change has already had a severe effect in the area where they live. More than seven in ten (71%), including a majority in every single country, expect climate change will have a severe effect in their area over the next 10 years. One-third (35%) expect to be displaced from their home as a result of climate change in the next 25 years.

The survey was conducted for the World Economic Forum among 23,507 adults under the age of 75 between July 22 and August 5, 2022 on Ipsos’s. Global Advisor online survey platform.

Detailed findings

Majorities in 22 of 34 countries report their area has already been severely impacted by climate change

The proportion of adults surveyed describing the effect climate change has had so far in the area where they live as very or somewhat severe ranges from 25% in Sweden to 75% in Mexico, averaging 56% across all 34 countries (15% “very severe” and 41% “somewhat severe”). 

Twenty-two countries show a majority reporting that they have already been severely impacted by climate change including nine countries where it exceeds two-thirds of all those surveyed: Mexico, Hungary, Turkey, Colombia, Spain, Italy, India, Chile, and France.

The survey finds notable regional differences within several countries where they were measured – likely reflecting recent experience with extreme heat, drought, forest fires, or floods. For example, the prevalence of having incurred severe effects of climate change is significantly higher than the national average in Greater London (vs. all of Great Britain), British Columbia (vs. all of Canada), the Western region of the United States, Southeastern France, Southern Germany, Northeastern Italy, and the Eastern part of Hungary. 

Majorities in all 34 countries expect their area will be severely impacted by climate change in the next 10 years

Concern about being severely impacted by climate change in the next decade is expressed by most adults in every country surveyed – from 52% in Malaysia to more than 80% in Portugal, Mexico, Hungary, Turkey, Chile, South Korea, Spain, and Italy.

On average across the 34 countries, 71% say they expect climate change to have a very or somewhat severe impact in their area over the next 10 years (30% “very severe” and 41% “somewhat severe”). This is 15 points higher than the percentage saying climate change has already had a severe impact where they live.

The difference is highest in Sweden (31 points) and Portugal (30 points). The inverse is true in Saudi Arabia, as more say climate change has already had a severe impact where they live than believe it will have a severe impact over the next 10 years.

One in three say they may have to leave their home in the next quarter century because of climate change

Across the 34 countries, an average of 35% say it is likely they or their family will be displaced from their home as a result of climate change in the next 25 years (10% “very likely”, 25% “somewhat likely”).

This is expressed by almost two-thirds in India (65%) and Turkey (64%) and almost half in Malaysia (49%), Brazil (49%), Spain (46%), and South Africa (45%). In contrast, fewer than one in four say so in Sweden (17%), Argentina (21%), the Netherlands (21%), and Poland (23%).While reported and expected experience with severe effects of climate change varies little along demographic variables in aggregate at a global level, the perceived likelihood of being displaced because of climate change decreases significantly with age. Globally, 43% of those under 35 say it is likely they will need to move in the next 25 years because of climate change vs. 37% among those aged 35 to 49 and just 25% among those aged 50 to 74.

Read the World Economic Forum article

About the study

These are the findings of a 34-country Ipsos survey conducted July 22 – August 5, 2022, among 23,507 adults aged 18-74 in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, and Turkey, 20-74 in Thailand, 21-74 in Indonesia, and 16-74 in 27 other countries, via Ipsos’s Global Advisor online survey platform.