Wednesday, May 21, 2025

New AOK Survey Reveals Declining Public Concern Over Environmental Health Hazards – Heat Perceived as a Growing Risk

A new survey conducted by the Scientific Institute of the AOK (WIdO) highlights a clear decline in public concern about environmental issues and their associated health risks. The latest WIdOmonitor 2025 reveals that while environmental topics like climate change, air pollution, and toxic exposure remain relevant, they are increasingly perceived as less urgent.

In a representative online survey of over 3,000 adults conducted in November 2024, results showed that concern about climate change dropped by 13 percentage points since 2020—from nearly 79% to about 66%. Concerns about air pollution fell even more sharply, from 56% to 45%.

Simultaneously, the share of people who believe that environmental issues are exaggerated increased from 19% to 29%. “This shift in perception is alarming,” says Sophie Rabe, AOK prevention expert and lead author of the study. “The health risks—particularly from air pollutants—remain significant and are well-documented in terms of disease burden.”

Awareness of the health consequences is also declining. While 68% of respondents agreed in 2020 that long-term exposure to air pollution poses a serious risk to physical and mental health, only 54% agreed in 2024. Awareness is particularly low among people with less formal education. “We need targeted educational efforts to close this gap,” says Rabe.

A slightly contrary trend was found in how people perceive the health risks of heat: 33% reported feeling strongly or very strongly affected by prolonged summer heat, up from 25% in 2021. People with chronic illnesses were significantly more likely to report heat-related health issues.

Despite the general decline in concern, awareness of global environmental issues such as microplastics (79%), water pollution (75%), and biodiversity loss (70%) remains high. Younger adults under 30 were particularly likely to express concern about climate change.

Dr. Carola Reimann, Chair of the AOK Federal Association, considers the trend a serious warning sign: “As public awareness of environmental health threats declines—despite growing scientific evidence—our ability to prevent health impacts also weakens. Society, media, and policymakers must counteract this.”

AOK calls for renewed efforts to communicate the health implications of environmental change. The aim must be to sharpen public awareness through targeted information campaigns and preventive strategies integrated into healthcare services.

The data for the WIdOmonitor was collected via an online survey by the research institute forsa, involving 3,033 adults aged 18 and older. Participants were selected based on a representative random offline sample. The results were compared with previous surveys from 2020 and 2021.