Americans more scared of clowns than climate change, poll shows

People in US as scared of gun rights infringement as death of family members

Poll follows "killer clown craze" that swept UK and US (AFP/Getty)

Americans are more scared of clowns than they are of climate change, according to a new poll.

The survey conducted by Chapman University found that 42 per cent of people in the US said they were scared of clowns, while only 32 per cent were afraid of the consequences of a warming planet.

The poll follows a "killer clown craze" that swept across the US and Europe, where people dressed as clowns chased members of the public brandishing weapons.

More Americans are also scared of clowns than they are of terrorist attacks (41 per cent); family members dying, (38 per cent); economic collapse (37 per cent); and biological warfare (35 per cent).

They were equally scared of gun rights infringement (38 per cent) as they were of the death of family.

Over a third (36 per cent) said they were afraid of Obamacare, President Barack Obama's controversial health policy that aims to increase the number of Americans with health insurance.

The poll reflects the findings of a recent UN survey of concens across the globe that showed climate change was bottom of the list.

A leading general on Wednesday warned that climate change was threatening to displace millions of people and spark major wars that could "completely destabilise" the world.