European Quality of Life Survey 2016

The European Quality of Life Survey 2016 examined a range of aspects affecting quality of life in European cities. This policy brief concentrates on major indicators explored in the EQLS, with a focus on public services and neighbourhood characteristics. It provides information of interest both to planners of future urban development and to cities themselves that have a key role in contemporary debates on development, service provision and policy innovations.

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.

Las comunidades rurales se caracterizan por unos patrones de desarrollo económico y por un entorno social definidos. Estudios anteriores han señalado diferencias entre las zonas rurales y las urbanas que afectan a varios aspectos de la calidad de vida. Por ejemplo, las condiciones de vida son como promedio inferiores en las zonas rurales.

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.

Las personas con discapacidad se encuentran entre los grupos más desfavorecidos de la UE. Este resumen de políticas analiza la situación de las personas con discapacidad en edad laboral a partir de datos de las ediciones de 2011 y 2016 de la Encuesta europea sobre calidad de vida. Aborda los cambios que se han producido en este periodo en los ámbitos del empleo, la educación y la formación, la participación en la sociedad, la protección social y la atención sanitaria, todos ellos prioritarios en la Estrategia Europea sobre Discapacidad.

This report provides an analysis of European societies in terms of social cohesion – in particular, social tensions, perceived social exclusion and community engagement are explored as key dimensions. It analyses the links between societal characteristics (quality of society) and well-being of different social groups. The analysis looks at how perceived levels of societal tensions have changed in European societies over time (2003–2016). It also examines which dimensions of social cohesion are most important for individual well-being.

Feelings of insecurity in several dimensions of life are widespread in the EU population, even among those who are materially well-off. Policymakers need to take these insecurities into account to better understand the concerns and dissatisfactions of citizens.