European Quality of Life Survey 2016

Quality of life data show that in most countries, the capital city has advantages compared to the regions outside the capital. In light of the continued growth of capital city populations and the concentration of resources within them, this policy brief explores the source of the advantages of capital cities in quality of life. Are these advantages mostly related to specific demographics that these cities nurture and attract? Or do these advantages stem from opportunities that major cities provide due to their scale and economic growth?

Demographic change, social progress and economic cycles have impacted household composition in Europe. This report provides an overview of household types in the European Union, how they have changed over the period 2007–2017 and how household type relates to outcomes in terms of living conditions and well-being – such as life satisfaction, the feeling of social exclusion and mental well-being.

What have been the major developments in quality of life and public services in Europe in recent years, as captured by research into these areas in Eurofound’s work programme for 2017–2020? This flagship publication provides a synthesis of the main findings on several key topics, based, in part, on European Quality of Life Survey data.

Public services are essential for achieving high levels of social protection, social cohesion and social inclusion. However, to be effective in this regard, services must be of good quality and they must be equally accessible to the broadest possible range of  citizens.

This report presents an overview of living conditions in the five current EU candidate countries – Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. It is based on the results of the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) and covers three broad areas: quality of life, quality of public services and quality of society. The report consists of an introductory overview chapter and five country profiles. The survey results are relevant both from a national perspective and in the context of the areas addressed in the EU enlargement process.

Depopulation of rural areas and the concentration of employment and education opportunities in urban centres is a fact of modern life. What impact does this have on the quality of life of rural residents? Do they feel increasingly isolated, and what are the emerging trends? New research by Eurofound highlights differences in quality of life across the rural–urban divide and finds that while rural dwellers are more likely to have a sense of belonging in their community than urban residents, they are also more disconnected from the wider world.

Ländliche Gemeinden weisen unverwechselbare Muster in ihrer wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung und ihrem gesellschaftlichen Leben auf. In den bisherigen Forschungsarbeiten war bei mehreren Dimensionen der Lebensqualität eine städtisch-ländliche Kluft erkennbar. So ist beispielsweise in ländlichen Gebieten der Lebensstandard im Durchschnitt niedriger.

Much policy is developed and operationalised through the prism of age, and addressing differences in the economic and social circumstances of different age groups is an ongoing concern of policymakers. This policy brief looks at inequalities in the quality of life of Europeans across six age groups.

As data from the European Quality of Life Surveys and Eurobarometer show, the sharp decline in trust in institutions was a temporary phenomenon during the recession. In some Member States, trust in the EU declined more during this period than trust in national governments, but trust in the EU has generally remained higher than trust in national governments in most countries.

Menschen mit Behinderungen gehören zu den am stärksten benachteiligten Gruppen in der EU. In diesem Kurzbericht wird die soziale Situation von Menschen mit Behinderungen im erwerbsfähigen Alter anhand von Daten aus den Erhebungsrunden 2011 und 2016 der Europäischen Erhebung zur Lebensqualität (EQLS) näher beleuchtet. Es werden die Änderungen in diesem Zeitraum in den Bereichen Beschäftigung, allgemeine und berufliche Bildung, Teilhabe an der Gesellschaft, sozialer Schutz und Gesundheitsversorgung untersucht, die allesamt Schwerpunktbereiche der Europäischen Strategie zugunsten von Menschen mit Behinderungen darstellen.