Italians are now far less fearful of war and terrorism than they were a year ago while concern over global warming is rising, said a poll out on Tuesday.
The survey, carried out by research institute SWG, found that 39% of Italians are afraid of international terrorism and warfare.
While this was still Italians' biggest fear, the figure was a sharp reduction on the 63% posted in 2005.
At the same time, 15% of respondents said they were afraid of climate change, against 11% a year ago.
Fear over the future of the planet was Italians' third biggest concern behind crime (23%), SWG said.
Retailers' association Confesercenti, which commissioned the survey, accused the government of not taking global warming seriously.
It called for urgent action, highlighting a new report prepared for the European Commission which foresees dire consequences for Europe and particularly the Mediterranean region over the next 60 years.
The report, due to be approved by the EC this week, forecasts that by 2071, 90,000 Europeans will die every year due to droughts and floods caused by climate change.
It says that Mediterranean countries such as Italy and Spain will suffer most from "drought, reduced soil fertility, fire and other climate-change driven factors".
