What are documented poll results from Greenland about U.S. annexation or independence options?
Executive summary
Multiple recent polls show Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose becoming part of the United States while many Americans likewise reject U.S. annexation or the use of force to acquire Greenland; specific surveys put Greenlander opposition at about 85% and American approval of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland at roughly 17%, with large majorities in the U.S. opposing military seizure [1] [2].
1. What Greenlanders say: overwhelming rejection of U.S. annexation
A January 2025 Verian poll commissioned by Danish and Greenlandic media found that 85% of Greenlanders said they did not want Greenland to become part of the United States, with only 6% in favour and 9% undecided, and the survey also reported that many Greenlanders worry about maintaining living standards if independence disrupts economics [1] [3]; mainstream international outlets—The Guardian and Reuters—reported the same 85% figure when covering Greenlandic reactions to U.S. proposals and rhetoric [4] [1].
2. What Americans say: low support for acquisition and strong rejection of military options
U.S. polling in January 2026 found scant public backing for the administration’s push to acquire Greenland: a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed just 17% approve of U.S. efforts to acquire Greenland and 71% said using military force to take possession would be a bad idea, while a separate Ipsos release emphasized that far more Americans disapprove (47%) than approve (17%) and many (35%) were unsure [5] [2]. Other surveys reinforce that the American public is unlikely to endorse expansionism: YouGov and CNN/SSRS polling found only modest support for purchase or coercive measures and large majorities of Democrats and independents oppose using force [6] [7] [8].
3. Partisan splits, nuances and comparative questions
Support in the United States varies by party and question framing: Republicans are more receptive to acquisition or purchase than Democrats, but even among Republicans backing is far from unanimous—some GOP lawmakers publicly oppose threats to NATO allies—while Democrats and independents overwhelmingly reject military seizure [6] [9] [10]. Polls also show Americans are more likely to support taking control of other territories (e.g., Panama Canal) than Greenland in some surveys, and views shift depending on whether the question asks about buying territory, influence operations, or military force [6] [9].
4. Political context, motivations and possible agendas behind the numbers
The polling sits inside a charged geopolitical and political moment: U.S. officials reportedly discussed buying Greenland, paying residents to secede, or even military options—proposals that prompted sharp pushback from Denmark, Greenlandic leaders, and many international observers—so poll questions are reacting to concrete, high-profile statements and diplomatic friction [5] [1] [11]. Media coverage and political actors can steer public perceptions: framing the idea as “strategic” versus “annexation” changes responses, and outlets note Greenlanders drawing closer to Denmark when faced with U.S. takeover talk, a dynamic pollsters pick up in attitudes [11] [12].
5. Limits, caveats and what the polls do not show
Polls document current attitudes but cannot predict future political outcomes, the mechanics of secession, or how sustained diplomatic, economic, or covert campaigns might shift local opinion; the available sources report snapshots—Verian’s Greenland survey and multiple U.S. polls (Reuters/Ipsos, Ipsos, YouGov, CNN/SSRS)—with typical sampling and timing caveats mentioned by pollsters but without exhaustive methodological detail in every news summary [1] [2] [6] [8]. Alternative viewpoints include commentators who see strategic justifications for U.S. interest in Greenland and analysts who warn the idea risks damaging NATO and U.S. credibility—both of which poll results suggest worry many Americans and almost all Greenlanders [5] [13].