Asked Citizens of 20 Major Countries... "Half Support Nuclear Power Generation"

A survey conducted among citizens of 20 countries around the world, mainly those operating nuclear power plants, revealed that 46% support nuclear power generation.

On the 10th, the Energy Information Culture Foundation announced the results of a survey on nuclear power generation conducted by Radiant Energy Group last October to November among 20,112 citizens from 20 countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and France. The results showed that the support rate for nuclear power generation was 46%, about 1.5 times higher than the opposition rate (28%).

Survey Results on Public Perception of Nuclear Power in 20 Countries by Radiant Energy Group
[Image source: Provided by Energy Information and Culture Foundation, Yonhap News]

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Among the 20 countries surveyed, 17 countries except Japan, Brazil, and Spain showed higher support rates for nuclear power. In Japan, due to the Fukushima nuclear accident, opposition (40%) was higher than support (29%). On the other hand, in China (61%), Russia (60%), UAE (60%), and India (57%), the support rate was more than three times higher than the opposition rate. Additionally, Sweden (56%), the Philippines (52%), and France (50%) also exceeded a 50% support rate.

Regarding the future policy direction of nuclear power generation, 68% of respondents answered "continue using nuclear power." This is about three times more than those who answered "phase out nuclear power" (19%). Among Korean respondents, 82% supported maintaining the policy direction of using nuclear power.

This survey was conducted online by Radiant Group, an international energy consulting company, targeting adults in 20 countries that either operate nuclear power plants or have plans to operate them. Each country secured at least 1,000 respondents, and weights were applied to ensure representativeness by age, gender, and region.

Regarding the survey results, the Energy Information Culture Foundation explained, "As the world realizes the importance of securing electric energy resources after the Russia-Ukraine war, perceptions of nuclear power are also becoming more positive." They added, "In particular, 76% in Sweden and 74% in Belgium, countries that have pursued nuclear phase-out policies, showed a high proportion of the public wanting to maintain nuclear power use." The foundation further noted, "This aligns with the policy trends of these countries, such as abolishing or suspending nuclear phase-out policies."

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