Countries Where Most People Believe in Human-Caused Climate Change

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More than 150 years of available climate data demonstrates that the planet is steadily getting warmer. With a large and growing body of evidence, the vast majority of people around the world accept ongoing climate change as fact – and the debate around climate change is now largely centered around which factors are driving the phenomenon.

The burning of fossil fuels releases pollutants, such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, into the air. As these pollutants – commonly known as greenhouse gasses – accumulate, they trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution, greenhouse gas emissions created by human activity have surged, and it is likely no coincidence that global temperatures have been steadily rising over the same period.

Of course, many natural processes such as volcanic eruptions, changes in the Earth’s orbit, and variations in the sun’s energy, can also impact the climate – but the current pace of global warming indicates that these factors are relatively inconsequential. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, climatic shifts that would normally occur over hundreds of thousands of years are now being observed in a matter of decades. Partially as a result, the Environmental Protection Agency reports a greater-than 95% likelihood that human activity has been the leading driver of climate change.

Still, despite established scientific consensus, broad swaths of the global population do not see climate change as a man-made phenomenon. According to a sweeping international survey conducted by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, only 42% of Americans believe that climate change is mostly caused by human activities. In other parts of the world, however, people are far more likely to accept that humans have, and continue to, play a leading role in climate change.

Using data from the 2022 YPCCC report International Public Opinion on Climate Change, Climate Crisis 247 identified the countries where the most people believe in human-caused climate change. Of the more than 100 countries included in the survey, there are 16 in which at least 55% of the population believe climate change is being driven by human activities. We ranked those countries on the share of citizens surveyed who say climate change is primarily a man-made phenomenon. Supplemental survey data is also from the YPCCC and population data are 2024 estimates from the World Bank. The YPCCC bears no responsibility for the analyses or interpretations of the data presented here.

16. Argentina

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 55%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 27%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 14%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 45,696,159

 

15. Sri Lanka

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 55%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 30%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 9%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 21,916,000

 

14. Belgium

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 55%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 32%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 7%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 3%
• Population in 2024: 11,876,844

 

13. Greece

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 55%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 37%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 5%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 10,388,805

 

12. Uruguay

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 56%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 26%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 13%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 3,386,588

 

11. Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 56%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 24%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 12%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 3,164,253

 

10. Mexico

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 57%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 28%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 11%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 130,861,007

 

9. United Kingdom

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 57%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 30%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 7%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 3%
• Population in 2024: 69,226,000

 

8. France

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 57%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 33%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 6%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 68,516,699

 

7. Finland

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 58%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 29%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 10%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 5,637,214

 

6. Costa Rica

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 58%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 27%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 10%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 1%
• Population in 2024: 5,129,910

 

5. Italy

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 58%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 28%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 8%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 58,986,023

 

4. Portugal

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 59%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 30%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 8%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 1%
• Population in 2024: 10,701,636

 

3. Taiwan

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 60%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 28%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 7%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 1%
• Population in 2024: N/A

 

2. Sweden

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 61%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 25%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 10%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 10,569,709

 

1. Spain

• Share of pop. who say human activities are driving climate change: 65%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is driven equally by humans and nature: 26%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is mostly natural: 5%
• Share of pop. who say climate change is not happening: 2%
• Population in 2024: 48,807,137

 

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