The survey<\/p>\n
The goal of the Chapman University Survey of American Fears is to collect data annually on the fears, worries and concerns of Americans and how those fears are associated with other attitudes and behaviors. This is the 12th year of the survey conducted for Chapman. The 2026 survey was fielded by NORC using its AmeriSpeak probability-based panel designed to represent the U.S. household population. The survey was conducted online in English from April 7 through April 21, 2026, with 1,221 completed interviews and a margin of error of \u00b13.79%. Chapman Survey of American Fears (CSAF) asks a representative national sample of Americans about more than 79 fears and related behaviors.<\/p>\n
The 2026 findings also show that fear of corrupt government officials remains the nation\u2019s top fear for the 11th consecutive survey, with 61.1% of respondents reporting they are afraid or very afraid of government corruption. The fear of the United States becoming involved in another world war rose from No. 6 in 2025 to No. 2 this year, with 58% expressing that fear.<\/p>\n
For the first time, researchers added several questions specifically examining fears surrounding artificial intelligence. Two AI-related concerns landed in the top 10: AI harming the political process ranked No. 3, at 51.9%; and AI hurting the economy ranked No. 7, at 49.7%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese findings make it clear that Americans are concerned not just about what AI might mean for their jobs, but about its potential impact on our political system and the economy,\u201d said Christopher Bader, Ph.D., professor of sociology at Chapman University and a lead researcher on the survey.<\/p>\n
2026 survey, 11-20:<\/p>\n 11. Pollution of drinking water 46.5%<\/p>\n 12. Russia using nuclear weapons 45.9%<\/p>\n 13. Not having enough money for the future 45.9%<\/p>\n 14 Cyber-terrorism, 45.7%<\/p>\n 15. Corporate tracking of personal data 45.5%<\/p>\n 16. Collapse of the electrical grid 45.5%<\/p>\n 17. Widespread civil unrest 44.6%<\/p>\n 18. High medical bills 44.1%<\/p>\n 19. Artificial intelligence hurting the environment 43.2%<\/p>\n 20. Pollution of oceans, rivers and lakes 42.9%<\/p>\n Bottom five:<\/p>\n 75. Falling\/tripping on uneven sidewalks 16%<\/p>\n 76. Needles 15.6%<\/p>\n 77. Strangers 15%<\/p>\n 78. Whites no longer being the majority in the U.S. 14.4%<\/p>\n 79. Technological change at work 12.7%<\/p>\n 2025 notes:<\/p>\n For the second consecutive year, all fears in the Top 10 were reported by more than 50%. \u201cThis is something we saw for the first time in 2018, after a pretty rapid increase across the board from 2016,\u201d said Chapman researcher Ed Day. \u201cWe were sorry to see it return.\u201d Anticipating a frequently asked question, the survey team noted that fear of public speaking ranked No. 46 (33.7%), right before murder by a stranger (No. 47, 33.5%) and after a devastating hurricane (No. 45, 34.1%)<\/p>\n Homelessness<\/p>\n While Americans are frightened by many things and events, most are not fearful of tent camps or homeless people. They report low levels of fear of homeless tent camps (18.3%) and homeless people (11.9%). Surprisingly, respondents were more afraid of strangers (14.6%) than people experiencing homelessness, which represented the absolute bottom of the list of all fears reported in the survey.<\/p>\n There were some patterns regarding political affiliation. Among those reporting they were afraid or very afraid of homeless tent encampments, the majority were people identifying as conservatives, at 44%, with moderates at 29% and liberals at 22%.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/fear-26-and-25.jpg\")
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