Measures requested from the government for "disaster prevention" peak at 37%, "prices" at 70%, highest for 4th consecutive year - Cabinet Office survey

On the 30th, the Cabinet Office announced the results (preliminary figures) of the ``Public Opinion Survey on People's Lives''. When asked multiple answers about measures the government should focus on in the future, 37.5% of respondents answered "disaster prevention," an increase of 6.4 points compared to last year's survey. This is the highest since 1992, when it was added to the questionnaire. In response to the Kumamoto earthquake in July and the heavy rain disasters that hit Chiba prefecture and other areas, it appears that the public's awareness of disaster prevention has increased.

Among the measures requested by the government, 72.5% said that they would take measures to reduce prices. This has been the highest number for four consecutive years since 2023. This was followed by social security development at 61.9% and economic stimulus measures at 57.0%. Disaster prevention ranked seventh overall.

Regarding the level of satisfaction with their current life, the total of 51.4% were ``satisfied'' or ``somewhat satisfied.'' This was higher than the combined 48.0% who said they were "dissatisfied" or "slightly dissatisfied." On the other hand, regarding future lifestyles, 52.6% of respondents said they would "enrich and enjoy their daily lives," down 2.6 points from the previous year, while 46.5% said they would "prepare for the future through savings and investments," an increase of 2.6 points from the previous year.

The Cabinet Office analyzed that, ``Although real wages have become positive, the prices of daily necessities continue to rise, making it difficult to be optimistic about the future.''

The survey was conducted between September 3rd and October 11th among 5,000 Japanese nationals aged 18 and over nationwide. The effective recovery rate was 54.4%.