When the above-mentioned opinions on the number of construction permits is divided into two main groups (no permits for any nuclear power plants vs. permit to at least one nuclear power plant) and if the study is extended to other demographic and economic and social background factors, a setting that is already familiar from previous surveys is encountered. The differences in attitudes within the population are great and show almost linear dependencies [Figure 5.]. If the chosen point of comparison is the fluctuation in the 'real' attitudes towards nuclear power (see Chapter 1), it can be seen that the profiles of different population groups follow the same logic [Figure 6.].

In both figures, the opposing opinions of men and women are an issue that clearly draws attention. The proposal of further construction of nuclear power plants receives considerably more support from men than from women. Most men (70%) but only one third of women (33%) would grant a permit to at least one nuclear power plant. Women do not only reject the proposal of further construction of nuclear power plants but are even quite extensively in favour of decreasing the use of nuclear power.

The difference between men and women has been great throughout the history of the survey. The time series illustrating this shows a persistent divergence of opinion. The distance between the attitudes of men and women has in practice remained constant for more than twenty years¹. When support for nuclear power increases or decreases at the level of the entire population, the change can be 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 operated at its own level² [Figure 6b.].

Opinions seem to become more positive with age. When it comes to opinions on permits, the connection is even quite simply straightforward. Even though this dependency on age can be seen in several surveys from previous years, it is not typical for the whole follow-up period. In the early years of the follow-up and in the survey materials from about ten years ago, opinions regarding nuclear power were slightly tied to age. When the acceptability of nuclear power has increased, the increasing support has been received from the older part of the population.

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 recent years than during the early part of the follow-up period. The weakening of the dependency may be partially explained by an increase in the support for nuclear power; social factors no longer determine a positive attitude to such a significant degree. An issue to be taken into account in long-term studies is the factual change in the population structure. The level of education among Finns has clearly increased over the past twenty-five years. Nevertheless, the connection with the level of education is a gender-related phenomenon: with men, positive attitudes towards nuclear power clearly increase with a rise in their level of education, whereas women's opinions on nuclear power are almost fully independent of their level of education (not included in the figure).

The occupational and social groups with the most positive attitudes towards nuclear power are those in executive positions, administrative employees, senior clerical employees, entrepreneurs and pensioners. Politically - as was already mentioned - supporters of the National Coalition Party are distinctly more positive about nuclear power than supporters of the other parties. As in past surveys, supporters of the Green Party are the least enthusiastic about nuclear power. In addition, the figures among supporters of the Left Alliance have been quite negative over the past few years, which might say something about the strong position of red and green opinions. As a supplementary detail, not in the figure, the Swedish-speaking population is slightly more anti-nuclear power than the Finnish-speaking population.

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 previous results. Supporters of a fifth nuclear power plant constitute a significant majority in both Loviisa and Eurajoki. Compared with the previous survey, the figures for the residents of Loviisa have become somewhat more positive, the figures for the residents of Eurajoki have remained quite the same. Those in favour of at least one permit - which might mean that the construction work could be started in their own municipality - are seven out of ten of the residents in both Loviisa and Eurajoki (72% and 70%). 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 taken with a pinch of salt.

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