The Fukushima area is still radioactive

The level of radioactivity in the Fukushima region today is comparable to the natural radioactivity of several regions of the world where no health effects have been demonstrated.

In the areas initially evacuated and where the evacuation order was lifted between 2014 and 2023 (depending on the area), and where it is once again possible to live, the exposure of populations does not exceed 20 mSv per year. 

At the beginning of 2026, 97.6% of Fukushima Prefecture is habitable, with about 2.4% remaining “difficult-to-return zones” having exposures exceeding 20 mSv per year.

Living organisms are accustomed to evolving in a weakly radioactive environment. In France, the average annual exposure to natural radioactivity is 2.9 mSv, but it is highly variable and can reach more than 10 mSv in some places (in Brittany for example, or in the massif central due to granite rocks). 

High variability is observed around the world. For example, in the region of Kerala, India, the average exposure to natural radioactivity is 6 mSv/year, but it can rise to 70 mSv/year without having any correlation to mortality due to cancer.