American public opinion toward the atomic bombing of Japan has changed significantly over time.

The latest poll from the Pew Research Center reveals that less than half of Americans currently view the bombings as justified, marking a notable drop from earlier years.

The survey was conducted ahead of the 80th anniversary of the bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two nuclear blasts killed around 200,000 people, many of whom were children, and left survivors with debilitating side effects, including higher rates of cancer and chronic illness.

The attacks — which took place on Aug. 6 and Aug. 9, 1945 — were quickly followed by Japan’s surrender to the U.S., which brought an end to World War II.

They also signaled the dawn of the nuclear age, sparking a worldwide arms race that has led at least nine countries to develop atomic arsenals.

Shift in public opinion

In the recent Pew survey, 35% of respondents said the bombings were justified, while a slightly smaller share, 31%, said they were not justified. An additional 33% said they were not sure.

The results appear to follow a trend of declining support for the nuclear attacks.

In 1945 — in the immediate aftermath of the bombings — a Gallup poll found the vast majority of Americans, 85%, approved of the U.S. decision to drop the newly invented weapons on Japanese cities.

Many years later, in 1990, another Gallup survey revealed that a much smaller share of respondents, 53%, approved of the attacks.

And, in four subsequent Gallup surveys conducted between 1991 and 2005, approval fluctuated between 53% and 59%.

In 2015 — on the 70th anniversary of the bombings — a Pew poll found 56% of Americans believed the attack was justified, while 34% said it was not. However, this survey did not include a “not sure” option, unlike the most recent one.

Demographic breakdown

The latest survey — which sampled 5,044 U.S. adults June 2-8 — also revealed noticeable differences in views based on gender, partisanship and generational lines.

For example, 51% of men said the bombings were justified, while just 20% of women said the same.

Similarly, 51% of Republicans and those who lean Republican said the attacks were justified, while just 23% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning respondents said the same.

Older Americans were also more likely than their younger counterparts to approve of the U.S. bombings. Nearly half of those 65 and older, 48%, said they were justified, while just 27% of 18- to 29-year-olds agreed.

Have nuclear weapons made us more safe?

The poll — which has a margin of error of 1.6 percentage points — also asked respondents whether they believe the development of nuclear weapons has made the world more or less safe.

The vast majority, 69%, said the creation of atomic weapons has made the world less safe. Just 10% said it’s made the global community more safe, and 21% said they were not sure.

When asked if nuclear weapons made the U.S. in specific safer, 47% said no and 26% said yes.

Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say both that the development of nuclear weapons has made the world and the U.S. more safe.

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