Overview
- Chapman University’s 2025 Survey of American Fears reports 69.1% of respondents are afraid or very afraid of corrupt government officials, the No. 1 concern for a decade running.
- Other leading worries include loved ones becoming seriously ill (58.9%), an economic or financial collapse (58.2%), and cyberterrorism (55.9%), with ties at 55.3% for loved ones dying and the U.S. entering another world war.
- For the second consecutive year, every item in the Top 10 drew majority concern, underscoring the breadth of anxieties captured by the study.
- The survey, fielded online in the spring by SSRS using a probability-based method, sampled 1,015 U.S. adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
- Team Fear highlights a perception–reality gap—such as rising fear of crime despite declining rates—and recommends limiting media exposure, researching risks, recognizing manipulative messaging, and building community.