Economic cost of noise
A study from Germany show that on average an individual would be prepared to pay around 10 Euro per 1 dB(A) improvement per person per year if the noise levels exceed 43 dB(A). On this basis the annual costs of traffic noise in Germany were estimated to be 7.8 - 9.6 billion euro
The economic costs of noise have been examined in numerous different ways. The most common methods used have been:
- Willingness to pay based on surveys
- Change of the market value of properties;
- Cost for abatement measures
- Cost of avoidance or prevention
- Cost of medical care and production losses
A wide variety of studies have examined the question of the external costs of noise to society especially transport noise. The estimates range from 0.2% to 2% of GDP which represents an annual cost to society of over 12-120 billion Euro.
The increasing number of complaints from the public about noise is evidence of the growing concern of citizens. For example the 1995 Eurobarometer environment survey showed that noise was the fifth most important area of complaint about the local environment after traffic, air pollution, landscape and waste but was the only issue about which the public's complaints had increased since 1992. The same survey showed a significant raise in the public's willingness to take action to reduce noise.
A study from Germany show that on average an individual would be prepared to pay around 10 Euro per 1 dB(A) improvement per person per year if the noise levels exceed 43 dB(A). On this basis the annual costs of traffic noise in Germany were estimated to be 7.8 - 9.6 Billion Euro.
Studies into the decrease in housing value depending on noise exposure for a variety of countries over the past 25 years have shown that in the 1980s the average rate of depreciation can be estimated at approximately 1% per dB(A) if the noise exceeds 55 dB(A), whereas the studies covering the 1970s show a depreciation rate of 0.3 to 0.8% per dB(A) (1994).
