The Relation Between Socioeconomic Status and Risk Attitudes: A Nuclear Accident Scenario in Sweden

Joel Rasmussen () and Jens Ewald ()
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Joel Rasmussen: Örebro University

Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, 2022, vol. 6, issue 3, No 5, 555 pages

Abstract: Abstract Nuclear power plant (NPP) disasters are complex and dreaded scenarios. However, existing recovery plans presuppose that citizens will return to live in decontaminated areas following evacuation. Research on natural disasters has shown that high socioeconomic status (SES) influences people to continue living in their homes in recovery areas. This study examines the association between SES and citizens’ risk attitudes to a radiological emergency scenario and demonstrates instead that high SES implies a greater likeliness to move away from the accident-affected area. This is substantiated by survey data of Swedish citizens’ (N = 2,291) attitudes to a scenario where an NPP accident, evacuation, and remediation occur. More specifically, the study provides statistically significant results to show that high income is associated with less worry over ionizing radiation. Still, high-income individuals also appear to be more likely to move if their neighborhood is affected by radioactive fallout than low-income individuals. Moreover, the results for education show that low education is associated with remaining in the decontamination area, and the relation between education and worry over ionizing radiation provides some support for assumptions about the “anxious middle.” Overall, this study finds that decontamination is complicated by a majority of people preferring permanent relocation as well as by indications that more resourceful citizens are generally more likely to leave the area permanently, which may impede the fulfillment of state agencies’ plans for recovery.

Keywords: Nuclear disasters; NPP accidents; Radiological risk; Socioeconomic status (SES); Risk attitude; Risk management; Public perception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: P48 Q30 Q40 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s41885-022-00118-6

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