On average, Americans are not optimistic about the prospects of peace on Earth in the next 50 years, the YouGov Big Survey on NATO and War finds
In 2023 the United Nations warned that the world is experiencing “the highest number of violent conflicts” since the Second World War. According to the Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law, there are currently more than 110 armed conflicts in the world.
When it comes to prospects for peace on Earth in 50 years, more Americans think the planet will be less peaceful (39%) than more peaceful (17%), and 24% say it will be the same as now.
Greater proportions of younger Americans share more optimism about a peaceful future: 26% of adults under 40 except Earth to be more peaceful in 50 years, compared to 11% of older Americans. Among adults under 25, men are more likely to say they’re optimistic than women (26% vs. 16%).
The survey also finds that Trump supporters are more likely than Biden supporters to say the world will be less peaceful in 50 years (46% vs. 36%).
About three in 10 Americans (28%) think there definitely or probably will be a time when there will be no wars on the planet, including 13% who say it “definitely will” happen. Six in ten (62%) have an opposing view, including three in ten (31%) who say this definitely will not happen.
Younger adults are significantly more optimistic on the question than are older Americans: 44% of adults under 40 think there will be a time without wars, compared to 19% of older Americans.
Also, men (31%) are somewhat more likely than women (26%) to express optimism on this question.
Among Americans who say there will be a time when there won’t be any wars or military conflicts (29%), about half (53%) think this will happen within the next 30 years while one-quarter (25%) think it will take longer and 23% say they don’t know.
— David Montgomery contributed to this article
See the results for this YouGov poll
Methodology: This poll was conducted online on March 18 - 27, 2024 among 2,217 U.S. adults. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of U.S. adults. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education. The margin of error for the overall sample is approximately 2%.
Image: Getty (Anna Moneymaker / Staff)
