Public opinion on nuclear issues is the aggregate of attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population concerning nuclear power, nuclear weapons and uranium mining.  According to environmentalist Stewart Brand and James Lovelock, the debate on nuclear power is far from being evidence-based and rational, with a number of anti-nuclear organizations trying to pull it into an "absolute evil" category and focusing on risks while ignoring the benefits such as zero emissions. Surveys about nuclear power use have been conducted internationally for four decades. Surveys originally examined public opinion on building new nuclear power plants. In the U.S., support has declined over the period from the mid-1970s through 2000. The Japanese were more supportive of nuclear power expansion during this time. 2005 In 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency presented the results of a series of public opinion surveys in the Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Issues report. The majority of respondents in 14 of the 18 countries surveyed believe that the risk of terrorist acts involving radioactive materials at nuclear facilities is high, because of insufficient protection. While majorities of citizens generally support the continued use of existing nuclear power reactors, most people do not favour the building of new nuclear plants, and 25\% of respondents feel that all nuclear power plantsshould be closed down. Stressing the climate change benefits of nuclear energy positively influences 10\% of people to be more supportive of expanding the role of nuclear power in the world, but there is still a general reluctance to support the building of more nuclear power plants .International Atomic Energy Agency (2005). Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Issues and the IAEA: Final Report from 18 Countries p. 6. A poll in the European Union for Feb-Mar 2005 showed 37\% in favor of nuclear energy and 55\% opposed, leaving 8\% undecided.  The same agency ran another poll in Oct-Nov 2006 that showed 14\% favoured building new nuclear plants, 34\% favored maintaining the same number, and 39\% favored reducing the number of operating plants, leaving 13\% undecided. This poll showed that the approval of nuclear power rose with the education level of respondents and was lower for women.Europeans and Nuclear Safety , February 2007. The global research agency GlobeScan, commissioned by BBC News, polled 23,231 people in 23 countries from July to September 2011, several months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In countries with existing nuclear programs, people are significantly more opposed than they were in 2005, with only the UK and US bucking the trend and being more supportive of nuclear power. Most believe that boosting energy efficiency and renewable energy can meet their needs.Just 22\% agreed that "nuclear power is relatively safe and an important source of electricity, and we should build more nuclear power plants". In contrast, 71\% thought their country "could almost entirely replace coal and nuclear energy within 20 years by becoming highly energy-efficient and focusing on generating energy from the Sun and wind". Globally, 39\% want to continue using existing reactors without building new ones, while 30\% would like to shut everything down now  .
Public opinion on nuclear issues is the aggregate of attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population concerning nuclear power, nuclear weapons and uranium mining. Opinions vary very significantly across countries, and have significantly changed up and down, mostly as result of widely publicized nuclear incidents, where the debate on climate change has boosted support for nuclear power as low-carbon energy source in many countries. According to environmentalist Stewart Brand and James Lovelock, the debate on nuclear power is far from being evidence-based and rational, with a number of anti-nuclear organizations trying to pull it into an "absolute evil" category and focusing on risks while ignoring the benefits such as zero emissions. 2005 In 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency presented the results of a series of public opinion surveys in the Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Issues report. The poll was limited to 18 countries but relatively diverse, with countries on all continents surveyed. The support varied significantly between countries, from 66\% in support for new nuclear power plants in South Korea, to only 12\% in Morocco. In most countries majority of citizens supported operations of existing nuclear power plants but opinions were divided on construction of new ones, with minority calling for shut down of existing power plants. Across all countries, 38\% were in support of expansion of nuclear power and 47\% opposed .International Atomic Energy Agency (2005). Global Public Opinion on Nuclear Issues and the IAEA: Final Report from 18 Countries p. 6. A poll in the European Union for Feb-Mar 2005 showed 37\% in favor of nuclear energy and 55\% opposed, leaving 8\% undecided. 2006 The same agency ran another poll in Oct-Nov 2006 that showed 14\% favoured building new nuclear plants, 34\% favored maintaining the same number, and 39\% favored reducing the number of operating plants, leaving 13\% undecided. This poll showed that the approval of nuclear power rose with the education level of respondents and was lower for women.Europeans and Nuclear Safety , February 2007. The global research agency GlobeScan, commissioned by BBC News, polled 23,231 people in 23 countries from July to September 2011, several months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In countries with existing nuclear programs, people are significantly more opposed than they were in 2005, with only the UK and US bucking the trend and being more supportive of nuclear power. Most believe that boosting energy efficiency and renewable energy can meet their needs.Just 22\% agreed that "nuclear power is relatively safe and an important source of electricity, and we should build more nuclear power plants". In contrast, 71\% thought their country "could almost entirely replace coal and nuclear energy within 20 years by becoming highly energy-efficient and focusing on generating energy from the Sun and wind". Globally, 39\% want to continue using existing reactors without building new ones, while 30\% would like to shut everything down now .The Fukushima incident has been described as subject to "a decade of disinformation" in 2020, with media and environmental organizations incorrectly conflating the earthquake and tsunami devastations with the consequences of the nuclear accident (which were relatively small) .
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Opinions vary very significantly across countries, and have significantly changed up and down, mostly as result of widely publicized nuclear incidents, where the debate on climate change has boosted support for nuclear power as low-carbon energy source in many countries.
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Surveys about nuclear power use have been conducted internationally for four decades. Surveys originally examined public opinion on building new nuclear power plants. In the U.S., support has declined over the period from the mid-1970s through 2000. The Japanese were more supportive of nuclear power expansion during this time.
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majority of respondents in 14 of the
poll was limited to
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surveyed believe that the risk of terrorist acts involving radioactive materials at nuclear facilities is high, because of insufficient protection. While majorities of citizens generally support the continued use
but relatively diverse, with countries on all continents surveyed. The support varied significantly between countries, from 66\% in support for new nuclear power plants in South Korea, to only 12\% in Morocco. In most countries majority of citizens supported operations
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reactors, most people do not favour the building of new nuclear plants,
plants but opinions were divided on construction of new ones, with minority calling for shut down of existing power plants. Across all countries, 38\% were in support of expansion of nuclear power
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25\% of respondents feel that all nuclear power plantsshould be closed down. Stressing the climate change benefits of nuclear energy positively influences 10\% of people to be more supportive of expanding the role of nuclear power in the world, but there is still a general reluctance to support the building of more nuclear power plants
47\% opposed
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2006
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.The Fukushima incident has been described as subject to "a decade of disinformation" in 2020, with media and environmental organizations incorrectly conflating the earthquake and tsunami devastations with the consequences of the nuclear accident (which were relatively small)