Terrorism fears in US have eased since 9/11, but so has confidence in government protection: poll
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Most Americans still say the tragic events on September 11 altered how they live their lives even 25 years later, according to a recent Gallup poll.
September 11 changed how Americans live
The poll revealed that 64% of U.S. adults believe the September 11 terrorist attacks permanently changed the overall way Americans live, tying the high recorded during the 20th anniversary in 2021.
This reflects a steady increase from earlier years, as only 49% held this view on the night of the 2001 attacks and 53% felt this way on the fifth anniversary.
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FILE - An American flag stands on the 9/11 Memorial for the North Tower in front of 3 and 4 World Trade Center ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 7, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Ima
Big picture view:
Despite the widespread belief that society at large has shifted, far fewer Americans report that their personal lives were altered long-term.
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Only 28% of respondents say the tragedy permanently changed the way they personally live.
Millennials and Gen Xers are more impacted
Dig deeper:
Personal impact varies noticeably by demographics: Millennials (36%) and Gen Xers (33%) report higher rates of personal change compared to older or younger generations, while Hispanic adults (51%) and regular churchgoers (40%) report significantly higher rates than other groups.
Meanwhile, general fear of terrorism has significantly declined since the immediate wake of the attacks.
A woman reads the names of victims at the One World Trade Center building while visiting the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Ryan MURPHY / AFP via Getty Images)
Currently, 37% of Americans say they are worried about themselves or a family member becoming a victim of terrorism, down from a peak of 59% in October 2001.
Urban residents, older adults, and Hispanic Americans continue to report higher levels of concern compared to other demographic segments.
Confidence in government to protect citizens is low
Public confidence in the U.S. government's ability to protect citizens from terrorism has dropped to 55%, tying a historical low previously seen in 2015.
This marks a substantial decline from the 88% confidence recorded shortly after September 11 and the 75% reported 15 years ago.
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This drop in trust is heavily driven by growing political polarization, as Americans' confidence now largely depends on which party holds the presidency.
Under the current Republican administration, 78% of Republicans express confidence compared to just 29% of Democrats—a sharp reversal from 2021 during former President Joe Biden's presidency, when 80% of Democrats and 41% of Republicans felt confident.
Overall, the long-term decline is further fueled by today's opposition party exhibiting far lower trust than out-of-power parties did in previous decades.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from a Gallup poll conducted by ReconMR between August 3-24, 2026, of 1,200 adults ages 18 and older across all 50 states and D.C.