Our 2014 Global Attitudes survey in 44 countries asked which among five dangers was considered to be the “greatest threat to the world.” Many in the Middle East said religious and ethnic hatred was the greatest threat, while Europeans tended to choose inequality. Africans are more concerned with AIDS and other infectious diseases, while scattered countries, many with good reason, chose the spread of nuclear weapons or pollution and environmental problems as the top danger.

The dots below represent the countries that express the highest level of concern about each danger category. The geographical clustering shows that countries’choices often reflect regional concerns as well as internal problems.

The Greatest Danger in the World
Views in: Religious & ethnic hatred Inequality AIDS & other diseases Nuclear weapons Pollution & environment
Lebanon 58% 17% 2% 20% 3%
Palest. ter. 40% 18% 10% 19% 9%
UK 39% 25% 4% 14% 16%
Tunisia 39% 18% 10% 25% 7%
Nigeria 38% 18% 7% 31% 4%
Egypt 34% 27% 14% 12% 11%
France 32% 32% 5% 14% 17%
Germany 32% 34% 1% 19% 13%
Malaysia 32% 13% 12% 22% 16%
Israel 30% 23% 8% 27% 12%
Bangladesh 30% 16% 11% 19% 22%
Turkey 29% 17% 10% 34% 7%
Russia 27% 19% 10% 29% 13%
Senegal 27% 13% 28% 23% 7%
Indonesia 26% 18% 22% 18% 13%
Jordan 25% 31% 11% 19% 11%
India 25% 22% 10% 19% 14%
Tanzania 25% 12% 41% 16% 4%
U.S. 24% 27% 7% 23% 15%
Kenya 24% 17% 29% 24% 3%
Ukraine 23% 15% 12% 36% 11%
Brazil 19% 19% 20% 28% 13%
Ghana 17% 25% 20% 22% 13%
Japan 16% 12% 2% 49% 20%
El Salvador 16% 18% 19% 27% 19%
Italy 15% 32% 6% 20% 25%
Poland 14% 32% 9% 28% 13%
Spain 14% 54% 5% 17% 9%
Pakistan 13% 29% 7% 30% 3%
Argentina 12% 32% 12% 17% 25%
South Africa 12% 29% 35% 10% 9%
Philippines 11% 22% 14% 19% 34%
South Korea 11% 32% 2% 26% 29%
Thailand 11% 29% 13% 9% 36%
Mexico 11% 19% 17% 26% 26%
Greece 10% 43% 9% 23% 14%
China 9% 14% 13% 26% 33%
Vietnam 9% 13% 22% 21% 32%
Nicaragua 9% 12% 25% 25% 29%
Chile 8% 27% 12% 30% 22%
Colombia 8% 17% 15% 22% 36%
Venezuela 8% 16% 24% 29% 21%
Peru 7% 12% 22% 23% 35%
Uganda 7% 20% 44% 21% 8%