The differences in attitudes towards a fifth nuclear power plant within population groups are great, in the same way as before. If the attitude towards nuclear power and the further construction of it in general is examined (basic results, see Chapter 1) instead of the attitude towards the fifth plant already under construction, attention is brought to the opposing opinions of men and women. The thought of further construction of nuclear power receives considerably more support from men (61% in favour) than from women (23%) [Figure 5.]. A similar difference shows in attitudes towards the fifth nuclear power plant. The construction decision was clearly agreeable to men but not so to women (not included in the figure).

The difference between men and women has been great throughout the history of the survey. The time series illustrating this brings about a persistent invariance. The distance between the attitudes of men and women has in practice remained constant for more than twenty years. When the support for nuclear power increases or decreases at the level of the entire population, the change is seen almost equally among both men and women. As the follow-up has progressed, the attitudes of the genders have not become closer nor wider apart; each gender has in a way operated at its own level [Figure 6.].

The opinions seem to become somewhat more positive with age. This age-dependency can be distinguished in several surveys of the previous years. In the early years of the follow-up and in the materials about ten years ago, opinions regarding nuclear power were hardly at all tied to age.

The connection with the level of education has also changed to a certain degree over time. Although support for nuclear power still increases with the rise in the level of education, this dependency has been weaker in the surveys of several preceding years than in the early part of the follow-up period. In the current results, chiefly only those with an academic education stood out from the rest as more positive toward nuclear power. The weakening of the dependency could be partially explained by increase in the support for nuclear power; social factors no longer determine a positive attitude to any significant degree. The connection with the education level is in any case a gender-related phenomenon: with men, positive attitudes towards nuclear power strongly increase along with a rise in their level of education, whereas women's opinions on nuclear power are quite independent of their level of education (not included in the figure).

The most positive occupational and social groups are senior clerical employees, entrepreneurs and pensioners. Politically, the supporters of the National Coalition Party (67%) are distinctly more positive about nuclear power than the others. The thought also has above-average acceptance among the supporters of the Social Democratic Party. As usual, the most unenthusiastic political group are the supporters of the Greens. As a supplementary detail from outside the figure, it can be mentioned that the Swedish-speaking population is slightly more anti-nuclear power than Finnish-speaking citizens.

The population of the municipalities in which nuclear power plants are already located are more positive about nuclear power than people elsewhere in the country - similar to the previous results. Supporters of a fifth nuclear power plant constitute a significant majority in both Loviisa (61%) and Eurajoki (60%). The attitude development by municipality shows not only uniformity but also differences. The three latest results from Eurajoki indicate that the greatest enthusiasm has subsided. Before the construction decision was made, the 'demand' for a new plant saw a strong increase in the municipality for several years. It is presumable that the commencement of the construction project brings a certain degree of confusion to the local society and its established patterns of life. Statistical factors must naturally be kept in mind when assessing the municipality-specific (as other sub-group-specific) results: figures calculated from relatively small groups of respondents must always be observed with a certain degree of generosity [Figure 7.].

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