Risk perception of climate change and global crises: Influences of socio-economic drivers and political orientations

Climate change increasingly impacts health and livelihoods, with extreme climate events causing significant economic losses and health risks. Understanding how socio-economic drivers and political orientation influence public risk perception is key for effective climate policies. This study aims to show how gender, age, income, political orientation, education, and place of residence shape perceptions of climate change as compared to other global crises (epidemics and economic crises), using Italy and Sweden as case studies (N = 12,476 individuals representative of the general population in both countries). Our findings indicate that women, low-income, and left-leaning respondents report higher risk perceptions across all hazards compared to men, higher-income, and right-leaning individuals. Younger individuals perceive higher risks for climate change and economic crisis but lower for epidemics compared to older individuals. These findings illustrate the importance of tailored communication strategies to address diverse perceptions and enhance public support for climate policies. By contextualizing climate change risk perceptions with other global crises, this study does not only provide crucial insights for advancing our understanding of risk perception dynamics in the context of global challenges but can also inform policymakers in designing interventions that consider socio-economic disparities and ideological influences.