Press release: 11.963-029/19

Environmental behaviour and conditions vary with income

Vienna, 2019-02-20 – Statistics Austria's current publication on "Environmental justice – socioeconomic differences in environmental behaviour and between individuals disturbed by environmental conditions" reveals that household income affects both the environmental behaviour and the perception of environmental issues. The study differentiated between disposable household income, equalized household income (which accounts for household size) and individuals at risk of poverty.

In sum, 5.3% of individuals within the lowest household income third report a less good or poor quality of life-satisfaction, compared to 1.3% of individuals within the highest income third. Similarly, noise affected individuals within the lowest income group (40.4%) more frequently than individuals in the highest income group (36.9%). There are also differences regarding environmental behaviour: individuals in the highest income group buy organic food to a much larger extent than individuals in the middle or lowest income group. By contrast, sustainable mobility behaviour – frequent use of public transport and rare use of the car – was negatively correlated with income.

For more detailed information please refer to the German version.

For further inquiries please contact:  
Alexandra WEGSCHEIDER-PICHLER, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7916,  
alexandra.wegscheider-pichler@statistik.gv.at, Analysis Unit and  
Sacha BAUD, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7304, sacha.baud@statistik.gv.at, Directorate Spatial Statistics

Media owner, producer and publisher: 
STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Federal Institution under Public Law 
Editorial office: Beatrix Tomaschek 
1110 Wien, Guglgasse 13, Tel.: +43 (1) 71128-7851 
presse@statistik.gv.at © STATISTICS AUSTRIA