The Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 5 (2018) provides an in-depth examination into the fears of average Americans. In June of 2018, a random sample of 1,190 adults from across the United States were asked their level of fear about ninety-four different phenomena including crime, the government, the environment, disasters, personal anxieties, technology and many others.

Top 10 Fears of 2018

 Below is a list of the 10 fears for which the highest percentage of Americans reported being “Afraid,” or “Very Afraid.”

Top Ten Fears of 2018 % Afraid or Very Afraid
1. Corrupt government officials 73.6
2. Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes 61.6
3. Pollution of drinking water 60.7
4. Not having enough money for the future 57
5. People I love becoming seriously ill 56.5
6. People I love dying 56.4
7. Air pollution 55.1
8. Extinction of plant and animal species 54.1
9. Global warming and climate change 53.2
10. High medical bills 52.9

Government Corruption Tops the List Again

For the fourth year in a row the top fear of Americans is corrupt government officials. And as in the previous four years, the fear that our government is corrupt far exceeds all others we asked about. Nearly 3/4 of Americans said they are afraid or very afraid of corrupt governmental officials in 2018. By comparison, the next highest level of fear was more than 10 points lower at 61.6% (pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes).

Government corruption aside, our top ten list suggest that Americans are preoccupied by fears of three different types. Americans fear for the environment (#s 2, 3, 7, 8, 9), fear bad things happening to loved ones (#s 5 & 6) and worry about their finances (#s 4 and 10). High levels of fear of loved one’s becoming ill (#5) and high medical bills (#10) also indicate that health care remains a primary concern of Americans.

Fear in the age of Trump

We now have two years of data collected about American fears since Trump’s election.   The table below presents the top ten lists for 2016, 2017 and 2018.  Since 2016, there are two striking changes in American fears.

Top Ten Fears (2016-2018)
  2016 2017 2018
1. Corrupt government officials (60.6%) Corrupt government officials (74.5%) Corrupt government officials (73.6%)
2. Terrorist attack (41%) American Healthcare Act/Trumpcare (55.3%) Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes (61.6%)
3. Not having enough money for the future (39.9%) Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes (53.1%) Pollution of drinking water (60.7%)
4. Terrorism (38.5%) Pollution of drinking water (50.4%) Not having enough money for the future (57%)
5. Gun control (38.5%) Not having enough money for the future (50.2%) People I love becoming seriously ill (56.5%)
6. People I love dying (38.1%) High medical bills (48.4%) People I love dying (56.4%)
7. Economic/financial collapse (37.5%) The US will be involved in another World War (48.4%) Air pollution (55.1%)
8. Identity theft (37.1%) Global warming & climate change (48%) Extinction of plant and animal species (54.1%)
9. People I love becoming seriously ill (35.9%) North Korea using weapons (47.5%) Global warming and climate change (53.2%)
10. The Affordable Health Care Act/Obamacare (35.5%) Air pollution (44.9%) High medical bills (52.9%)

Increasing Fear About the Environment

A striking difference between 2016 and 2017-2018 has to do with the environment. Since Trump’s election, Americans’ are increasing fearful of pollution, global warming and other environmental disasters. Not a single environmental concern made the top 10 list in 2016. In 2017, four of the top ten fears were related to the environment (#s 3, 4, 8 and 10). By 2018, five of the top ten fears were environmental in nature (#s 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9).

Fear on the Rise

The extent to which Americans are afraid, in general, also appears to be on the rise.

In 2016, the highest level of fear reported by our respondents was for corrupt government officials at 60.6%.   From there fear dropped precipitously, with #2 on the list in 2016 (terrorist attack) down to forty-one percent and the rest of the 2016 top ten list all under forty percent.

By 2017, the top fear (corrupt government officials) was up to 74.5% and five of the top ten fears were expressed by more than half of the population.

By 2018 all the top ten fears were held by more than half of Americans. Put another way, by year, the top ten fears have ranged from:

  • 2016:   35.5% to 60.6%
  • 2017: 9% to 74.5%
  • 2018: 9% to 73.6%

Americans are becoming more afraid.

The Complete List of Fears, 2018

The following is a complete, list of all fears addressed by the Chapman University Survey of American Fears Wave 5 (2018), ranked by the percent of Americans who reported being afraid or very afraid.

Sorted by Percent Afraid/Very Afraid

Complete List of Fears (2018) % Afraid or Very Afraid
1. Corrupt government officials 73.6
2. Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes 61.6
3. Pollution of drinking water 60.7
4. Not having enough money for the future 57
5. People I love becoming seriously ill 56.5
6. People I love dying 56.4
7. Air pollution 55.1
8. Extinction of plant and animal species 54.1
9. Global warming and climate change 53.2
10. High medical bills 52.9
11. Cyber-Terrorism 52.5
12. The U.S. will be involved in another world war 51.6
13. Islamic extremists 49.3
14.  White supremacists 49.3
15. Economic/financial collapse 49.2
16. Identity theft 46.6
17.  Corporate tracking of \personal data 46.3
18. Government tracking of personal data 46
19. Being hit by a drunk driver 45.3
20. Biological warfare 44.7
21. Becoming seriously ill 44.1
22. Oil spills 44
23. Terrorist attack 43.8
24. Widespread civil unrest 43
25. Nuclear weapons attack 42.9
26. Credit card fraud 42.6
27. Extreme anti-immigration groups 41.6
28. Random mass shooting 41.5
29. Terrorism 39.8
30. North Korea using nuclear weapons 39.2
31. The collapse of the electrical grid 39
32. Pandemic or a major epidemic 38.6
33. Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition 37.8
34. Devastating drought 37.7
35. Iran using nuclear weapons 36.4
36. Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster 36.3
37. Nuclear accident/meltdown 36
38. Break-ins 35.1
39. Devastating tornado 34.7
40. Being unemployed 34.4
41. Heights 33.6
42. Theft of property 33.3
43. Devastating hurricane 32.8
44. Government use of drones within the U.S. 32.3
45. Militia/patriot movement 31.3
46. Devastating flood 31.1
47. Devastating earthquake 30.9
48. Computers replacing people in the workforce 30.7
49. Devastating wildfire 30.7
50. Murder by a stranger 29.7
51. Sharks 29.2
52. Mugging 28.6
53. Racial/hate crime 28.6
54. Dying 27.9
55. Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc.) 27.2
56. Sexual assault by a stranger 27.1
57. Devastating blizzard/ winter storm 27
58. Police brutality 26.6
59. Public speaking 26.2
60. Deep lakes and oceans 25.7
61. Abduction/kidnapping 25.1
62. Reptiles (snakes, lizards, etc.) 24.1
63. Stalking 23.7
64. Hell 23.7
65. Walking alone at night 23.5
66. The Devil/Satan 23.1
67. Insects/arachnids (spiders, bees, etc.) 22.6
68. Illegal immigration 21.5
69. Murder by someone you know 21
70. Demons 20.8
71. Antifa 20.7
72. Small enclosed spaces 19.8
73. Sexual assault by someone you know 19.2
74. Large volcanic eruption 18.6
75. Technology I don’t understand 17.8
76. Being fooled by ‘fake’ news 17.5
77. Extreme environmentalists 16.4
78. Apocalypse/Armageddon 16.4
79. God 14.2
80. Germs 13.2
81. Needles 12.9
82. Flying 12.7
83. Significant other cheating on you 12.1
84. Extreme Animal Rightists 11.3
85. Sharing a restroom with a transgender person 9.5
86. Whites no longer being the majority in the U.S. 9.4
87. Zombies 8.4
88. Ghosts 8.3
89. Sexual harassment in the workplace 7.5
90. Clowns 7.1
91. Strangers 7
92. Others talking about you behind your back 6.7
93. Blood 6.3
94. Animals (dogs, rats, etc.) 3.7

 

Sorted Alphabetically

Complete List of Fears (2018) % Afraid or Very Afraid
Abduction/kidnapping 25.1
Air Pollution 55.1
Animals (dogs, rats, etc.) 3.7
Antifa 20.7
Apocalypse/Armageddon 16.4
Becoming Seriously ill 44.1
Being fooled by ‘fake’ news 17.5
Being hit by a drunk driver 45.3
Being unemployed 34.4
Biological warfare 44.7
Blood 6.3
Break-ins 35.1
Clowns 7.1
Computers replacing people in the workforce 30.7
Corporate Tracking of \Personal Data 46.3
Corrupt government officials 73.6
Credit card fraud 42.6
Cyber-Terrorism 52.5
Deep lakes and oceans 25.7
Demons 20.8
Devastating blizzard/ winter storm 27
Devastating drought 37.7
Devastating Earthquake 30.9
Devastating Flood 31.1
Devastating Hurricane 32.8
Devastating tornado 34.7
Devastating Wildfire 30.7
Dying 27.9
Economic/financial collapse 49.2
Extinction of plant and animal species 54.1
Extreme Animal Rightists 11.3
Extreme Anti-Immigration Groups 41.6
Extreme Environmentalists 16.4
Financial fraud (such as a Ponzi scheme, embezzlement, etc.) 27.2
Flying 12.7
Germs 13.2
Ghosts 8.3
Global Warming and Climate Change 53.2
God 14.2
Government restrictions on firearms and ammunition 37.8
Government Tracking of Personal Data 46
Government Use of Drones Within the US 32.3
Heights 33.6
Hell 23.7
High Medical Bills 52.9
Identity theft 46.6
Illegal immigration 21.5
Insects/Arachnids (spiders, bees, etc.) 22.6
Iran using nuclear weapons 36.4
Islamic Extremists 49.3
Large volcanic eruption 18.6
Losing my data, photos or other important documents in a disaster 36.3
Militia/Patriot Movement 31.3
Mugging 28.6
Murder by a stranger 29.7
Murder by someone you know 21
Needles 12.9
North Korea using nuclear weapons 39.2
Not having enough money for the future 57
Nuclear accident/meltdown 36
Nuclear weapons attack 42.9
Oil Spills 44
Others talking about you behind your back 6.7
Pandemic or a major epidemic 38.6
People I love becoming seriously ill 56.5
People I love dying 56.4
Police brutality 26.6
Pollution of drinking water 60.7
Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes 61.6
Public speaking 26.2
Racial/Hate crime 28.6
Random Mass shooting 41.5
Reptiles (snakes, lizards, etc.) 24.1
Sexual assault by a stranger 27.1
Sexual assault by someone you know 19.2
Sexual Harassment in the workplace 7.5
Sharing a restroom with a transgender person 9.5
Sharks  29.2
Significant other cheating on you 12.1
Small enclosed spaces 19.8
Stalking 23.7
Strangers 7
Technology I don’t understand 17.8
Terrorism 39.8
Terrorist attack 43.8
The collapse of the electrical grid 39
The Devil/Satan 23.1
The U.S. will be involved in another world war 51.6
Theft of property 33.3
Walking alone at night 23.5
White Supremacists 49.3
Whites no longer being the majority in the U.S. 9.4
Widespread civil unrest 43
Zombies 8.4

For more information and articles, visit www.chapman.edu/fearsurvey.