Disaster experience and resident risk preference: Evidence from China household finance survey

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 30;18(11):e0295146. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295146. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

China is one of the countries hardest hit by disasters. Disaster shocks not only cause a large number of casualties and property damage but also have an impact on the risk preference of those who experience it. Current research has not reached a consensus conclusion on the impact of risk preferences. This paper empirically analyzes the effects of natural and man-made disasters on residents' risk preference based on the data of the China Household Financial Survey (CHFS) in 2019. The results indicate that: (1) Both natural and man-made disasters can significantly lead to an increase in the risk aversion of residents, and man-made disasters have a greater impact. (2) Education background plays a negative moderating role in the impact of man-made disasters on residents' risk preference. (3) Natural disaster experiences have a greater impact on the risk preference of rural residents, while man-made disaster experiences have a greater impact on the risk preference of urban residents. Natural disaster experiences make rural residents more risk-averse, while man-made disaster experiences make urban residents more risk-averse. The results provide new evidence and perspective on the negative impact of disaster shocks on the social life of residents.

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Disasters*
  • Humans
  • Natural Disasters*
  • Rural Population

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the National Social Science Foundation [No. 20BJY265]and Science Research Project of Hebei Education Department [No. SZ2023169]. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.