67 Most Common Fears of Americans, According to the Recent Chapman University Research

Discover what Americans fear most. Here are the Top 67 Fears of 2025, based on data from the Chapman University Survey of American Fears, ranked by the percentage of respondents who said they are "afraid" or "very afraid":

#	Complete List of Fears	% Afraid or Very Afraid
1	Corrupt Government Officials	69.1
2	People I Love Becoming Seriously Ill	58.9
3	Economic/Financial Collapse	58.2
4	Cyber-Terrorism	55.9
5	People I Love Dying	55.3
6	U.S. Becoming Involved in Another World War	55.3
7	Pollution of Drinking Water	54.5
8	Russia Using Nuclear Weapons	53.7
9	Pollution of Oceans, Rivers, and Lakes	53.5
10	Government Tracking of Personal Data	52.7
11	Not Having Enough Money for the Future	52.4
12	Biological Warfare	52.3
13	Corporate Tracking of Personal Data	50.7
14	Identity Theft	50.7
15	Terrorist Attack	49.9
16	North Korea Using Nuclear Weapons	49.8
17	Artificial Intelligence (AI) Replacing People in the Workforce	49.2
18	Global Warming and Climate Change	48.8
19	Credit Card Fraud	48.8
20	Air Pollution	48.3
21	Iran Using Nuclear Weapons	48.0
22	Collapse of the Electrical Grid	47.1
23	High Medical Bills	46.2
24	Widespread Civil Unrest	45.3
25	New Pandemic or a Major Epidemic	45.2
26	Not Having Enough Money to Pay My Rent or Mortgage	44.9
27	Being Unemployed	44.6
28	Random/Mass Shooting	44.3
29	Extinction of Plant and Animal Species	43.5
30	Nuclear Accident/Meltdown	43.4
31	Not Being Able to Pay Off College Debt of Myself or a Family Member	43.1
32	Becoming Disabled	42.9
33	Terrorism	42.0
34	Climate Change Impacting Where I Live	41.5
35	Becoming Seriously Ill	41.2
36	Devastating Wildfire	40.5
37	Devastating Drought	39.0
38	Devastating Tornado	38.5
39	Oil Spills	38.4
40	Theft of Property	37.5
41	Violent Overthrow of the U.S. Government	36.1
42	Devastating Flood	35.6
43	Sharks	35.2
44	Heights	34.3
45	Devastating Hurricane	34.1
46	Public Speaking	33.7
47	Murder by a Stranger	33.5
48	Devastating Earthquake	33.0
49	Government Restrictions on Firearms and Ammunition	31.7
50	Racial/Hate Crime	31.3
51	Sexual Assault by a Stranger	31.2
52	Government Use of Drones Within the U.S.	31.2
53	Dying	28.6
54	Illegal Immigration	28.2
55	Devastating Blizzard/Winter Storm	28.0
56	Walking Alone at Night	27.5
57	Technology That I Don't Understand	25.9
58	Small, Enclosed Spaces	25.4
59	Murder by Someone You Know	25.0
60	Sexual Assault by Someone You Know	22.4
61	Catching Influenza (the Seasonal Flu)	19.3
62	Needles	18.6
63	Homeless Tent Encampments	18.3
64	Flying	17.7
65	Strangers	14.6
66	Whites No Longer Being the Majority in the U.S.	13.0
67	Homeless People	11.9

The Chapman University Survey of American Fears is one of the most comprehensive studies examining what Americans are most afraid of each year.

Conducted annually since 2014 by researchers at Chapman University in California, the survey explores a wide range of fears: spanning government, environment, personal safety, technology, natural disasters, and more. By polling thousands of U.S. adults, the study provides insight into how fear reflects broader cultural, political, and social conditions. Its findings reveal not only what people worry about most but also how these fears shift over time in response to national events, economic changes, and media narratives.

Check out the full report. Image: HiDream