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Living conditions

Living conditions  are the circumstances or factors affecting the way in which people live, particularly with regard to their well-being. The term ‘living conditions’ is closely related to that of ‘quality of life.’ The latter is the degree to which an individual is healthy, comfortable and able to participate in or enjoy life events. The term ‘quality of life’ then can refer to both the experience an individual has of his or her own life and to the living conditions in which individuals find themselves. 

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Eurofound research

Part of Eurofound’s main role is to contribute to the planning and design of better living conditions in Europe. Since 1975, Eurofound has developed a programme of activities around the monitoring and analysis of living conditions and quality of life in Europe. The research involves mapping and analysing key elements for the improvement of living conditions of people, including information on their perception of quality of life and society. The research findings aim to inform the creation of policies to improve living standards and promote social cohesion in the face of economic disparities and social inequalities.

Due to the health and ensuing economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic, the study of living conditions and quality of life has gained even more importance. Eurofound investigates the impact of the economic crisis on the living conditions of Europeans in different life stages and the role played by various initiatives implemented to alleviate the social hardship of various groups of citizens. The Agency will continue to monitor trends in this area in light of this new challenge.

European Quality of Life Survey

Eurofound's European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) documents the living conditions and social situation of European citizens. Launched in 2003, four editions of the survey have been carried out, the latest in 2016. EQLS data on living conditions include information on housing (tenancy type, dwelling inadequacies including energy poverty, housing insecurity), utility arrears, reported difficulties in making ends meet, material disadvantage (deprivation and economising), access to local services, as well as overall satisfaction with standard of living.

Eurofound’s approach recognises that ‘quality of life’ is a broader concept than ‘living conditions’, and therefore has a broad range of indicators that enable an analysis of various living conditions in relation to overall well-being of individuals in a society. In this broader understanding, the EQLS provides information about living conditions in terms of work–life balance and gender equality, quality of life of people with disabilities, and quality of care services. A range of the survey data can help evaluate progress towards implementing the key principles of the Social Pillar and complement indicators of the Social Scoreboard.

Through the EQLS, Eurofound can compare trends over time, which permits some conclusions to be drawn regarding progress towards greater upward convergence in the EU, in terms of Europeans’ living conditions and their quality of life.

A series of reports accompanies each survey edition, including an overview report and a number of more detailed analytical reports. 

Living, working and COVID-19

From 2020 to 2022, the five rounds of Eurofound’s e-survey, Living, working and COVID-19, capture the experience of living and working at different stages through the pandemic, with the aim of helping policymakers to bring about an equal recovery from the crisis. 

Other living conditions research

Based on various sources and approaches, Eurofound has also looked at the social situation of specific groups, including young people and those over 50, families and young people living with their parents and in multigenerational households, the working poor and the economically inactive population. Research has also been carried out on household over-indebtedness, reducing the non-take-up of social benefits, the living conditions of the Roma, the cost of inadequate housing, as well as living conditions in urban versus rural areas.

Key outputs

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The various economic and social shocks of the past decade and a half – most recently the COVID-19 pandemic – have ongoing consequences for the living standards and prospects of...

19 December 2023
Publication
Policy brief
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The European Child Guarantee was established in 2021 to ensure that children in need have access to a set of key services. This policy brief analyses trends and disparities in...

21 September 2023
Publication
Policy brief
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This report explores the distribution of household wealth in the EU Member States and analyses the role of wealth in social mobility. Using data from three datasets (the Household Finance...

30 March 2021
Publication
Research report

EU context

Upward social convergence, that is improving living standards, working conditions and economic outcomes across Member States, is a principal goal of the EU. Monitoring and mapping the evolution of living conditions and quality of life in EU Member States is therefore a priority. 

The European Pillar of Social Rights, jointly proclaimed by the EU institutions in November 2017, covers 20 principles under three core areas: equal opportunities and access to the labour market, which includes fairness related to living conditions and poverty; fair working conditions; social protection and inclusion, which includes housing and assistance for the homeless. In particular, the principles underline the role of public services in enhancing quality of life. 

In March 2021, the European Commission launched the Action Plan to turn the Pillar’s 20 principles into concrete actions to benefit EU citizens in their daily lives, and proposing headline targets for the EU to reach over the next decade. A new ambitious target of lifting at least 15 million people out of the risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2030 puts living conditions and living standards high on the social policy agenda. The Pillar is accompanied by the Social Scoreboard – a list of indicators to monitor progress towards implementation of these principles in Member States. 

The European Commission has established a set of quality of life statistics and launched the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) in 2003. EU-SILC gathers comparative data on income, poverty, social exclusion, housing conditions, labour, education and health.  

Eurofound’s work on living conditions links in with the Commission’s 2019–2024 priority on a stronger Europe in the world. 

 

 

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Hans Dubois is a senior research manager in the Social Policies unit at Eurofound. His research topics include housing, over-indebtedness, healthcare, long-term care, social...

Senior research manager,
Social policies research unit
Publications results (105)

This Eurofound research paper explores the decarbonisation of residential heating through the adoption of heat pumps, a key component in the EU’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Heat pumps offer a highly efficient alternative to traditional heating systems, leveraging renewable energy

30 September 2024

The various economic and social shocks of the past decade and a half – most recently the COVID-19 pandemic – have ongoing consequences for the living standards and prospects of Europeans, and sometimes these outcomes have been uneven across age groups. Social policies – such as those in the areas of

19 December 2023

The urban-rural divide in EU countries has grown in recent years, and the depopulation of certain rural areas in favour of cities is a challenge when it comes to promoting economic development and maintaining social cohesion and convergence.

18 October 2023

The European Child Guarantee was established in 2021 to ensure that children in need have access to a set of key services. This policy brief analyses trends and disparities in children’s access to early childhood education and care, education, healthcare, nutrition and housing.

21 September 2023

This report explores the dynamics of the environmental performance of the EU Member States and the extent to which the disparities in their performance have narrowed since the early 2000s. The report is a product of cooperation between Eurofound and the European Environment Agency, with the

03 August 2023

In responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU activated its Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) for people who fled the country, allowing them to settle in the EU and to access basic public services and the labour market. By spring 2023, more than 4.5 million people had made use of the TPD

14 June 2023

Unaffordable housing is a matter of great concern in the EU. It leads to homelessness, housing insecurity, financial strain and inadequate housing. It also prevents young people from leaving their family home. These problems affect people’s health and well-being, embody unequal living conditions and

30 May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic had varying impacts on social groups, depending on existing disadvantages, and it was widely believed that it triggered a rise in inequalities across different areas of life. Using indicators from the EU’s Multidimensional Inequality Monitoring Framework (MIMF), this report sho

24 January 2023

The EU Presidency of Czechia organised a high-level conference in October 2022 on ‘Tackling energy poverty: EU approach & sharing best practices’. The event aimed to bring different actors together in order to strengthen the dialogue on possible solutions on how to further tackle energy poverty in

28 October 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated inequalities in many dimensions of European societies, including inequalities between women and men in several key domains. This report looks at gender inequalities that existed prior to the COVID-19 crisis and describes in what ways the pandemic has impacted on

13 October 2022

Online resources results (13)

In this episode Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Senior Research Manager Hans Dubois on the issues that feed into housing insecurity in Europe, and the actions that need to be taken to address them. Together, they analyse findings from Eurofound’s recent Unaffordable and inadequate housing in Eu

15 June 2023

The rise in cost of living and energy poverty: Social impact and policy responses. 14 October 2022, Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers (EPSCO). Presentation by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound.

14 October 2022
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Summer time arrangements in the EU: A tripartite outlook on ‘Cloxit’

On 31 March 2019, clocks across the EU will go forward one hour, a Union-wide event since 2002. However, the European Commission has proposed abolishing the bi-annual hour change, an idea favoured by the vast majority of respondents in a public consultation. This article discusses reactions by

European Quality of Life Survey 2016 New results for the EU candidate countries Event on Improving quality of life in Europe – Sharing data to shape better policies, 26 June 2018, Belgrade, Serbia Presentation by Tadas Leončikas, Senior Research Manager, Eurofound

26 June 2018

Bulgaria: Trade unions stage national protest for decent pay and conditions

Pay increases are attracting intense interest among social partners and the public, with employers opposing the government’s decision to increase the statutory minimum wage in 2018. The largest trade union in Bulgaria, the CITUB, organised a major national protest in October in support of pay

United Kingdom: Low take-up of Shared Parental Leave scheme

The Shared Parental Leave (SPL) regulations came into force on the 1st of December 2014 and apply to eligible parents where a baby is due, or a child is placed for adoption, on or after 5 April 2015. This report outlines the details of the scheme and then presents the findings of a number of

Malta: Latest working life developments – Q2 2017

Disappointment over the minimum wage increase, plus proposals to compensate workers for weekend public holidays and to allow parents to take sick leave to care for children are the main topics of interest in this article. This country update reports on the latest developments in working life in

Slovakia: Incentives for men to take time off work for family life

Young men in Slovakia are increasingly breaking with tradition to take time off to care for their children. There is a small but steady rise in the numbers of men benefiting from two forms of parental entitlement: parental allowance and maternity benefit (open to fathers under certain conditions).

Cyprus: Report analyses impact of crisis and adjustment programme

The annual economic report of the Cyprus Labour Institute concludes that fiscal adjustment had negative effects on GDP, employment and the unemployment rate, diverted resources from social uses towards servicing public debt, and caused a sharp deterioration in living conditions.

Bulgaria: Studies highlight rising poverty in households

Bulgaria is Europe’s poorest country, according to a report by Catholic charity Caritas, which asserts that almost one-half of Bulgarians (48%) are living in poverty. Another study by the think-tank IME claims that domestic policies fail to effectively target those most in need in Bulgaria.


Blogs results (9)
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Spiralling housing costs are causing despair across the EU. The situation is making people anxious that they will lose their accommodation or become homeless; they may become overburdened financially or forced to live in substandard accommodation; and many young people are unable to leave home. Whil

4 April 2023
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Rising energy prices are putting more people under increased financial pressure and at greater risk of energy poverty. In this data story, we take a closer look at the data from the fifth round of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey to explore the extent of the issue and the threat of energy

3 August 2022
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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

8 May 2019
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Europe is showing visible signs of progress; in most countries, labour markets are healthier than they have been in a decade, with more people active and in work than ever before, while social exclusion is declining. However, it is also a continent in transition, where an imbalance in opportunities

18 June 2018
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'Europe – a world-class place to live and work.' That is how President Juncker described Europe at the summit to formally proclaim the EU Pillar of Social Rights in Gothenburg last month. And he added: ‘Europe is more than just a single market, more than money … It is about our values and the way we

7 December 2017
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In-work poverty increased during the economic and financial crisis that hit European shores in 2008. By 2014, ten per cent of European workers were at risk of poverty, up from eight per cent in 2007. Ten per cent is a significant figure: the working poor represent a substantial group that can’t be i

13 October 2017
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The Great Recession depressed real income levels across European countries. But the impact was very unequal across countries and income groups. Countries in the European periphery have been more affected than those in the core, halting the process of income convergence between European countries tha

23 June 2017
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Equality of opportunity and upward social mobility are important aspects of the European social model. Until quite recently concerns about rising inequalities were often countered by assurances about protecting social mobility, and the assertion that an individual’s status is mainly down to their wo

26 April 2017
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EU-wide income inequality declined notably prior to 2008, driven by a strong process of income convergence between European countries. The Great Recession broke this trend. After 2008, income convergence has been sluggish, while inequality within many countries has increased significantly.

21 March 2017
Upcoming publications results (1)

This report explores the implications of the right of all EU citizens to live independently. It investigates the barriers faced by people who wish to live independently, and the situation of people at risk of living in institutional settings. It maps the various measures taken by EU Member States to

October 2024
Data results (7)
7 November 2023
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