Middle Easterners Fear Religious/ Ethnic Hatred; Europeans, Americans Inequality Which one of these poses the greatest threat to the world? TOP CHOICE
With growing conflicts engulfing the Middle East, people in the region name religious and ethnic hatred most frequently as the greatest threat to the world. Moreover, publics across the globe see the threat of religious and ethnic violence as a growing threat to the world’s future. But in Europe, concerns about inequality trump all other dangers and the gap between the rich and the poor is increasingly considered the world’s top problem by people living in advanced economies, including the United States.
Elsewhere, Asians and Latin Americans are somewhat divided about the world’s greatest danger, but pollution and environmental problems as well as the spread of nuclear weapons are high on their list of threats. African countries see AIDS and other infectious diseases as the most pressing issue in the world today.
Around a quarter of Americans say the growing gap between the rich and the poor (27%) is the greatest threat to the world today, with 24% saying this about religious and ethnic hatred and 23% expressing concern about the spread of nuclear weapons. Fewer say pollution and other environmental problems (15%) or AIDS and other infectious diseases (7%) are the world’s top problems.
Middle Easterners Fear Religious/ Ethnic Hatred; Europeans, Americans Inequality  | Which one of these poses the greatest threat to the world?  | AIDS & other  | Religious &  | Pollution &  | Nuclear  | ethnic hatred  | Inequality  | diseases  | environment  | weapons  | TOP CHOICE  | Middle East  | 34%  | 18%  | %  | 20%  | 10%  | 5  | Europe  | 15  | 32  | 14  | 19  | Asia  | 13  | 18  | 22  | 21  | 12  | Latin America  | 18  | 25  | 26  | 19  | 9  | 22  | 29  | Africa  | 24  | 18  | U.S  | 27  | 15  | 24  | 23  | Note: Regional medians Russia and Ukraine not included in Europe median  | Source: Spring 2014 Global Attitudes survey. Q6.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 