New risk indexes rank countries by worry levels, harm experienced and government safety performance
At the heart of the World Risk Poll are three new indexes which track risk across the world:
1. The World Worry Index
The World Worry Index shows the countries who worry the most and least and which everyday risks they worry about. Everyday risks measured by the poll include: severe weather, violent crime, food you eat, electrical powerlines, mental health issues, water you drink and household appliances.
2. The Experience of Harm Index
The Experience of Harm Index highlights the countries where citizens have the highest levels of experience of everyday risk.
When compared side by side with the World Worry Index, these two indexes show that there can be considerable differences between the way people feel about risks and the actual harms they experience.
3. The Government Safety Performance Index (GSPI)
The World Risk Poll survey asks whether people think their governments are doing a good job of keeping their food, water safety and powerlines safe – a measure of basic critical infrastructure – in the areas where they live. These responses are combined to create the Government Safety Performance Index (GSPI).
“Seldom in history does one get a front row seat on risk perceptions of nearly 99 per cent of the world’s population. The Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll is a treasured evidence base that policy makers can finally use to design risk communication strategies that fit a country’s context and culture. That’s a game changer to create a safer world.”
Dr. Reuben Ng
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk, National University of Singapore
