CNN polling guru surprised majority of Americans 'aren't afraid' of climate change

CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten was surprised on Thursday that the majority of Americans aren't scared of climate change.

"Are Americans afraid of climate change? And the answer is, Americans aren't afraid of climate change," Enten said on "CNN News Central." "Climate activists have not successfully made the case to the American people."

Enten said the network has data reaching back to 1989 about how worried people are about climate change. 

In 1989, 35% of Americans were "greatly worried" about climate change, Enten said. In 2000, the number jumped five percentage points, with 40% of Americans being "greatly worried" about climate change. 

Forty-six percent of Americans were "greatly worried" about climate change in 2020, but then the percentage dropped again to 40% in 2025, according to Enten.