2008
(10/01/2008) A global survey measuring life risks has identified the UK as a nation of worriers
AXA international risk study finds northern hemisphere is obsessed by perceived risk, death and financial meltdown while south takes more relaxed view
The UK is a nation of worriers, with a global survey of more than 4,000 adults identifying us as one of the most anxious nations in the world, coming fourth on the list of international worriers, according to the AXA Protection Life Risks League Table.1
More than one in five of UK adults (22%) claim they frequently worry about life risks, such as death, ill health and financial hardship, and just 9% say they never worry.
The Germans are the most risk-obsessed nation, with 38% saying they frequently worry about life risks, with the Italians (29%) and Americans (25%) taking the second and third places.
When it comes to what particularly worries us, UK adults are more concerned about death than almost every other nation polled, with 83% saying this is what worries them most. Only the USA (86%) obsessed more about this. Financial hardship also concerns us heavily, with 71% of UK adults saying they worry about this, beaten only by the USA (79%) and Germany (74%).
Fear of the unknown is so strong for UK adults that more than one in three (34%) say they are highly aware of potential accidents and hate taking risks and a mere 7% say they believe taking risks is a good thing.
The study found that while adults in the northern hemisphere obsess about potential risks, those in the southern hemisphere take a much more relaxed view on life.
The least risk-obsessed people are those in Hong Kong, with just 5% saying they frequently fret and more than half (55%) saying they rarely or never worry about life risks.
The Japanese and Australians also scored well for a relaxed attitude to risk, with a mere 9% of Japanese and 17% of Australians saying they frequently worry and 24% of Japanese and 34% of Australians saying they rarely or never do.
The Swiss are the only northern hemisphere country to show low levels of concern about life risks, with just 15% saying they frequently worry and nearly half (48%) saying they only rarely or never do.
Iain Mallon, Head of Protection at AXA, states, "It's staggering to see just how many people are obsessed with life risks and worry frequently about them, particularly when many of the things that concern them most could be avoided, or their impact mitigated, by long-term financial planning and perhaps taking a more realistic attitude to these risks.
"It's particularly interesting to see the extent to which there's a clear north/south split, with the northern hemisphere obsessing about risk while the southern hemisphere takes a more laid-back approach."
Despite our national obsession with risk, only around half (56%) of UK adults said they think about the impact of life risks on themselves, with the majority of people either worrying about the impact of these on their children (93%) or their partners (92%).
- Ends -
Notes to editors
- Research was conducted among a sample of 4009 adults aged 25 - 65 across a sample of 10 major economically developed countries (Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the USA).
The research was conducted using CATI telephone interviews between 28th March and 24th May 2007.
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