Climate Change: No. 1 Problem of No Nation?

According to preliminary results from the World Meteorological Organization, last month was the warmest September ever recorded around the world - the latest in a string of temperature records. Nevertheless, the topic of climate change has still not reached the top of the agenda for many people, as data from Statista Consumer Insights shows. Respondents in none of the 21 nations covered by the survey collectively rated climate change as the most important problem for their own country when asked to name the issues that were of the biggest significance to them.

Switzerland comes closest with climate change being named as a severe issue by the second-highest number of respondents behind rising prices/inflation. Generally, this is more of an expression of the few problems of Swiss people, as still only 32 percent rated the climate change issue as severe. Despite ranking fourth in France and Germany, climate change was recognized as a big problem there by more people, 41 percent and 37 percent, respectively. In Spain, this number was even as high as 39 percent despite climate change being only the eight-highest ranked issue. Likewise, developing nations like Mexico and India might have a list of other problems that more people agree on. Yet, recognition of climate change as a major issue was only slightly less widespread among the population than in developed countries at around 30-33 percent.

Climate change awareness reached a low in Poland (27 percent/rank 12) and South Africa (26 percent/rank 13). The United States was another outlier at just 30 percent naming climate change as a big issue (rank 9), a low among developed countries.