- Across 25 nations, a median of 69% of adults say terrorism is a major threat. Another 26% say it is a minor threat, and 6% say it is not a threat to their country.
- People in middle-income countries are more likely than those in high-income countries to see terrorism as a major threat. A median of 79% across nine middle-income countries surveyed say terrorism is a major threat, compared with 60% across 16 high-income countries. (Read Appendix A for more information on how we classify high- and middle-income countries.)
- Concern about terrorism is highest among older adults and people on the ideological right, including supporters of right-leaning populist parties. And in some countries, people with less education are more likely to be concerned than those with more education.
Many people view terrorism as a major threat to their nation, including large majorities in almost all of the middle-income countries surveyed. About nine-in-ten adults in Kenya, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey express this view, as do roughly eight-in-ten in Argentina, Brazil, India and Mexico.
These views of terrorism are also common in some high-income countries such as France, Japan and South Korea: About three-quarters of adults or more in each of these nations call it a major threat. In Israel, 89% see terrorism as a major threat to their country.
Views over time
In 12 high-income countries, we last asked people about their views of terrorism as a threat in 2020. The share of Americans who say terrorism is a major threat has declined 9 points since March 2020. Fewer Australians also see terrorism as a major threat to their country today than in June 2020 (-7 points).
But in South Korea and Sweden, people are somewhat more likely to see terrorism as a major threat today than five years ago.
Views by age
In about half of the countries surveyed, older people are more likely than younger people to see terrorism as a major threat.
For instance, three-quarters of Americans ages 50 and older say terrorism poses a major threat to their country, compared with 44% of U.S. adults under 35.
Views by education
In 10 mostly high-income countries, people with less education are more likely than those with more education to see terrorism as a major threat. For instance, 58% of Greeks without a postsecondary education hold this view, compared with 40% among those who have a postsecondary education.
Views by ideology
In 15 nations, people who place themselves on the ideological right are particularly concerned about the threat terrorism poses to their country.
Almost half of right-leaning Australians (47%) say terrorism is a major threat. This is more than double the share of left-leaning Australians (20%) who take this stance.
Similarly, in Canada, roughly half of those on the right (49%) and a similar share of those in the center (46%) see terrorism as a major threat, compared with about a quarter of those on the left (28%).
Other large differences by ideology are found in the U.S., Israel and many of the European countries surveyed.
Views by support for right-wing populist parties
Across Europe, supporters of right-wing populist parties are more likely than nonsupporters to see terrorism as a major threat to their country. (Read Appendix B for more information on how we classify populist parties.)
For example, French adults with a favorable view of the right-wing National Rally party are more likely than those with an unfavorable view of the party to call terrorism a major threat. This is also the case among supporters and nonsupporters of Alternative for Germany (AfD), Fidesz in Hungary, Forza Italia and Brothers of Italy (FdI), Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, Vox in Spain, Sweden Democrats, and Reform UK.
Conversely, supporters of centrist and left-leaning populist parties in France, Italy and Spain are less likely than nonsupporters to be concerned about the threat posed by terrorism. The only exception is left-wing Syriza in Greece: People with a favorable view of that party are more likely than those with an unfavorable view to see terrorism as a major threat to their country.
