National Geographic - Roper
2002 Global Geographic Literacy Survey
Conducted by RoperASW for the
National Geographic Education Foundation
Methodology
• Survey of 18- to 24-year-olds in nine countries:
Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy,
Japan, Mexico, Sweden and the U.S.
• 3,000 in-person, in-home interviews with a
representative sample in each country
• Additional sample of 25- to 34-year-olds in the
U.S.
Overall Results
Average # of correct answers
out of a possible 56 correct
56
42
40
38
38
34
31
28
28
27
23
21
U.S.
Mexico
14
0
Sweden Germany
Italy
France
Japan
Great
Britain
Canada
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
World Hotspots
Percentage of young adults naming Afghanistan
as the base of the Taliban/al Qaeda
100%
84%
84%
82%
80%
79%
75%
71%
70%
63%
60%
58%
40%
20%
0%
Sweden
Great
Britain
Italy
Germany
Canada
Japan
France
Mexico
U.S.
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
World Hotspots
Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly identifying
Afghanistan on a world map
100%
80%
60%
83%
40%
Incorrect/
don't know
Correct
20%
17%
0%
Afghanistan
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Pop Culture
Percentage of young U.S. adults correctly identifying
Afghanistan on a world map vs. knowing that last season’s
“Survivor” island was in the South Pacific
100%
80%
60%
83%
66%
40%
Incorrect/
don't know
Correct
20%
34%
17%
0%
Afghanistan
Survivor
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
World Hotspots
Percentage of young adults correctly
identifying ___ on a map of Asia/Middle East
100%
Overall
80%
U.S. 18-24
60%
40%
23%
20%
22%
14%
21%
12%
19%
13%
13%
0%
Israel
Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Importance of Geography Skills
Percentage of young Americans saying the skill is
“not too important” in today’s world
100%
1988
2002
80%
60%
30%
40%
20%
4%
39%
12%
11%
24%
0%
Read a map
Speak a foreign
language
Know where
countries in the news
are located
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Country Location Skills
• Still, over 80% of young adults worldwide say it is
“absolutely necessary” or “important” to:
– Be able to read maps
– Know where countries in the news are located
…but performance on these skills is poor.
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Country Location Skills
Average # of countries correctly identified on maps of:
•The world (out of 16 countries)
•Europe (out of 12 countries)
•Middle East/Asia (out of 11 countries)
16
Overall
12
8
U.S. 18-24
10.1
7.3
5.0
4
4.7
2.5
3.1
0
World
Europe
ME/Asia
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Country Location Skills
Percentage of young adults correctly
identifying ___ on a world map
100%
90% 89%
80%
Overall
70% 71%
U.S. 18-24
69%
73%
68%
60%
42%
40%
35%
31%
20%
0%
USA
Pacific
Ocean
Japan
France
UK
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
Country Location Skills
100%
Percentage of young Americans who simply said
“I don’t know,”
when asked to find ___ on a world map
80%
60%
49%
46%
46%
45%
42%
40%
36%
25%
15%
20%
0%
Afghanistan
Israel
Sweden
Egypt
U.K.
France
Russia
Pacific
Ocean
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
State Location Skills
Percentage of young Americans correctly identifying
___ on a map of the United States
100%
89%
89%
80%
60%
51%
49%
44%
40%
38%
35%
31%
30%
30%
Mass.
N.J.
Missouri
20%
0%
Calif.
Texas
N.Y.
Penn.
Ill.
Mich.
Ohio
Sample: U.S. 18- to 24-year-olds
Nuclear Weapons
Percentage of young adults correctly
identifying four countries acknowledging
have nuclear weapons
100%
80%
60%
40%
36%
36%
30%
24%
23%
23%
20%
19%
17%
4%
0%
Germany
Sweden
Japan
France
Italy
Great
Britain
U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
U.S. Population
Percentage of young adults correctly identifying...
100%
95%
Own country's population
U.S. population
84%
75%
80%
68%
60%
64%
58%
55%
45%
40%
40%
43%
34%
56%
47% 44%
37%
35%
25%
20%
0%
Sweden
Japan
Germany
France
Italy
Great
Britain
Canada
Mexico
U.S.
Sample: 18- to 24-year-olds
U.S. Population
Percentage of young Americans believing the U.S.
population falls within the following ranges
100%
80%
60%
Nearly one-third of U.S. young
adults think the U.S. population
is between 1billion and 2 billion,
or nearly one-third of the total
world population!
40%
20%
25%
31%
28% 25%
U.S. 18-24
U.S. 25-34
30% 29%
12% 10%
6% 6%
0%
10 million to 50
million
150 million to
350 million
500 million to
750 million
1 billion to 2
billion
Don't Know
Sample: U.S. respondents
Life-Affecting Issues
• Young adults tend to perform better on questions
that directly affect their lives.
U.S. young adults score well on:
-Oil supply
-AIDS
-El Niño
Geography Education
• Young U.S. adults who reported taking a geography
course in school performed better on the quiz.
• 55% report having taken geography courses
(up from 30% in 1988).
Factors Influencing Performance
Factors that seem to influence performance:
– Level of education
– International travel and language skills
– Internet usage
– Media usage
0
