National Geographic - Roper

2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey

Conducted by Roper,Inc. for the

National Geographic Education Foundation
 Methodology
• Survey of 18-24 year olds in nine countries:
Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the U.S.

• Over 3,000 in-person, in-home interviews, with a

representative sample, in each country.
 Overall Results
average # of correct answers
out of 56 total questions
56

40 38 38
42
34
31
28 27
28 23 21

14

0
Sweden Germany Italy France Japan Great Canada U.S. Mexico
Britain
 World Hotspots
Percentage of young adults naming Afghanistan
as the former base of the Taliban & Al Qaeda
100%
84% 84% 82% 79% 75%
80% 71% 70%
63%
58%
60%

40%

20%

0%
Sweden Great Italy Germany Canada Japan France Mexico U.S.
Britain
 World Hotspots
Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly
identifying Iraq on a world map
100%

80%
Incorrect/
60% 83% don't know
40% Correct
20%
17%
0%
Iraq
 State Location Skills
Percentage of young Americans correctly
identifying states on a map of the United States
100%
89% 89%

80%

60% 51% 49%

44%
38% 35%
40% 31% 30% 30%

20%

0%
Calif. Texas N.Y. Penn. Ill. Mich. Ohio Mass. N.J. Missouri
 Country Location Skills
Percentage of young adults correctly
identifying the locations below on a world map
100% 90% 89% Overall U.S. 18-24
80% 70% 71% 69% 73%
68%
60%
42%
40% 35% 31%

20%

0%
USA Pacific Japan France England
Ocean
 Country Location Skills
Percentage of young Americans who simply said
“I don’t know” when asked to find locations on a world map
100%

80%

60%
49% 46% 46% 45% 42%
40% 36%
25%
20% 15%

0%
Afghanistan Israel Sweden Egypt U.K. France Russia Pacific
Ocean
 Nuclear Weapons
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying four
countries that already have nuclear weapons
100%

80%

60%

40% 36% 36%

30%
24% 23% 23%
19% 17%
20%
4%
0%
Germany Sweden Japan France Italy Great U.S. Canada Mexico
Britain
 Population
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying the
approximate population of their own country and the U.S.

95%
Own country's population U.S. population
100%
84%
80% 75%
68%
64%
55% 58% 56%
60%
45% 47% 44%
40% 43%
40% 34% 37%
35%
25%
20%

0%
Sweden Japan Germany France Italy Great Canada Mexico U.S.
Britain