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QUALITY OF LIFE in EU QUALITY OF LIFE in EU --

Trends in key dimensions 2003Trends in key dimensions 2003--20092009

Jorma Karppinen, EurofoundJorma Karppinen, EurofoundBranislav Mikulic, EurofoundBranislav Mikulic, Eurofound

The 96th DGINS Conference, Sofia, 30 September 2010

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European Foundation European Foundation Established in 1975

First European Union Agency (with Cedefop)

Annual budget: EUR 20 m

Ca. 100 staff in Dublin

Brussels Liaison Office

Network of European Observatories (NEO) in 28 countries

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Structure of the presentation:Structure of the presentation:

Quality of life: main features of the EF concept

European quality of life survey (EQLS): unique tool to measure the concept

Results: trends in key dimensions of quality of life and wellbeing in EU 2003-2009

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Core domains of quality of lifeCore domains of quality of life

• Income, financial situation of the household and deprivation• Employment and job quality

• Work-life balance• Family relations and support• Social inclusion/exclusion (community life and social

participation)

• Knowledge, skills and employability• Quality of housing , neighbourhood and local environment • Health and access to health care

• Social capital (trust) and quality of society (perceived tensions)• Perceived quality of public services• Subjective well being (happiness, life satisfaction , optimism

about future, specific domain satisfaction)

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EF concept of quality of life: main featuresEF concept of quality of life: main features

Income and living standard, the concepts which prevailed in earlier EF works proved to be too narrow to capture whole complexity of challenges which asked for quick and adequate policy responses.

Quality of life is a multi-dimensional conceptQuality of life refers to individuals’ life situation (micro perspective)Quality of life is measured by objective as well as subjective indicators

EQLS as a tool to measure the EF concept

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EQLS: Key featuresEQLS: Key featuresFirst round 2003

Second round 2007

• Representative household survey among Europeans aged 18 and over• Frequency of the survey: every 4 years• Stratified and multistage sampling (regions-settlements- PSU – addresses - individuals)• Sample size: 1000-2000 persons per country • Full country coverage: all EU Member States + all CC (+ Norway)• Input harmonized survey (common questionnaire for 36’ F2F interview)

• 100+ analytical variables and indicators collected on all key dimensions of quality of life• Centrally coordinated fieldwork: TNS opinion• Data collection: September to November 2007 • Overall survey response rate: 58% • Item non-response negligible

Partial survey 2009 : a number of EQLS questions implemented in 2009 under EB

Third round 2011

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Trends in quality of life Trends in quality of life 2003 2003 –– 2007 2007 –– 2009 2009

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Economic background:

Growth between 2003 and 2007, recession in 2009

• Stable economic growth in EU between 2003 and 2007, rapid growth in NMS

• In the new member states reforms and huge investments (FDI and EU funds) led to two-digit annual growth rates

=>Narrowing gap between GDP of NMS and EU15

Real GDP growth in the EU27, 2003-2009

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

• Between 2007 and 2008 economic growth slowed, in 2009 all EU countries entered into recession

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-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15EU

27Po

land

Cypr

usM

alta

Gre

ece

Fran

cePo

rtuga

lBe

lgiu

mSp

ain

Luxe

mbo

urg

Aust

riaNe

ther

land

sSl

ovak

iaCz

ech

Repu

blic

Swed

enBu

lgar

iaG

erm

any

Italy

Unite

d Ki

ngdo

mDe

nmar

kHu

ngar

yRo

man

iaIre

land

Slov

enia

Finl

and

Esto

nia

Lith

uani

aLa

tvia

200320072009

Real GDP growth by country

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Subjective wellbeingSubjective wellbeing

Life satisfaction as an aggregate measure of well-being

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Overall life satisfaction and domains of satisfaction

7.0

8.0

7.3

7.4

6.9

7.0

7.9

7.1

7.3

6.9

6.8

7.7

7.2

7.1

6.6

5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 9.0

General life satisfaction

Satisfaction with family life

Satisfaction with job

Satisfaction with health

Satisfaction with currentstandard of living

20032007

2009

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Life satisfaction by population groups

Life satisfaction 2003 2007 Change 2007 2009 ChangeEU15 7.30 7.19 -2% 7.19 6.97 -3%NMS12 6.00 6.47 8% 6.47 6.05 -6% 18-34 7.16 7.13 0% 7.13 7.07 -1%35-64 6.91 6.97 1% 6.97 6.64 -5%65+ 7.09 7.07 0% 7.07 6.76 -4% Employed 7.17 7.18 0% 7.18 6.96 -3%Unemployed 5.58 5.76 3% 5.76 5.56 -4%Retired 7.03 7.03 0% 7.03 6.61 -6% Easy 7.92 7.84 -1% 7.84 7.74 -1%Difficult 5.35 5.31 -1% 5.31 4.86 -8%

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Satisfaction with life in generalSatisfaction with life in general

Average life satisfaction

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

7.5

8

8.5

9

BG LT LV SK EE HU PT PL RO CZ EL FR SIEU27CY IT DE MT UK ES BE NL IE LU AT SE FI DK

2007

2009

2003

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Change in the level of life satisfaction (in %), 2007-2009

-3%

-16%

-14%

-12%

-10%

-8%

-6%

-4%

-2%

0%

2%

4%

LV BG RO MT PT HU FR EE LT SE ES LU EL SK PL SI FIDK

EU27 CY IE IT DE UK NL BE CZ AT

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Social capitalSocial capital

Trust in people and democratic institutions

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Trust in people and institutions

5.6

0.0

0.0

5.2

4.6

4.6

4.9

4.1

4.1

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0

People

Parliament

Government

200320072009

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Trust in Parliament (scale 1-10)

3 3.13.3

3.6

4

3.6

4.8

4.5

4.2

4.8

4.54.3

5.1

4.6

2.8

3.9

5.6

5.1

4.74.9

5.15.3

6.1

5.8

6.4

5.8

6.3

7

2.2

2.6 2.72.9

3.2 3.3 3.4

3.7 3.73.9 3.9 3.9

4.1 4.1 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.3

4.6 4.7 4.85

5.5 5.5

5.8 5.96.1

6.4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

LV LT PL HU RO CZ EL UK SI

EE SK PT IEEU27 BG IT ES FR DE CY BE MT AT NL FI

LU SE DK

2007

2009

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-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

Change in trust in national parliament, 2007-2009

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Summary of findingsSummary of findings

•QoL and subjective wellbeing had been improving in the period of relatively stable (and relatively high) economic growth in 2003-2007, in particular in NMS.

•The enlargement which enabled direct foreign investment and get access to EU funds (and market) seem to have contributed to a rapid economic growth in NMS.

•Many people in these countries benefited from the economic prosperity which is also to be seen in increased quality of life and subjective well-being.

•With the current recession and economic crisis, the quality of life of EU citizens diminished as well as their subjective well-being, especially in NMS.

•The declines in wellbeing and quality of life are found in countries more or less marked by the recession. The countries experiencing the deepest recession are not always those reporting the greatest change in quality of life – but it appears to be the case with Latvia and Estonia as well as Bulgaria and Romania.

•The well-being of traditionally vulnerable groups have diminished more rapidly than that of the rest of the population. E.G. elderly, the retired people and those who are under serious economic strain have recorded more negative changes in aspects of quality of life

•Still the impact of the economic crisis on perceived should not be exaggerated: at least until September 2009 there had been almost no change in the overall level of economic strain in EU and relatively small deterioration in the indicators of deprivation.

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EQLS compared with other panEQLS compared with other pan--European surveysEuropean surveys1. In existing pan-European social surveys (EU-SILC, LFS, HBS, ESS) the their

primary focus is not on entire quality of life but on a few very specific dimensions of quality of life (income, employment, consumption, political participation). Thematically they overlap only marginally with EQLS surveys since they are designed for other purposes and uses. Thus, they are not competitors on the quality of life information market.

2. The EQLS is specialized survey designed to measure various dimensions of people’s life and relationships between them. Currently, EQLS is the onlycross-national survey which covers almost all key aspects (dimensions) of quality of life. EQLS fills information a gap in the area of QoL3. Other pan -European surveys and EQLS are nicely complementing each others: While other surveys use more of the objective indicators, EQLS is collecting more of the subjective ones. Focus on perceptions, views and expectations of the citizens and ensures value added

4. EQLS is flexible: new questions, new concepts research

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How to make EQLS How to make EQLS eveneven betterbetter

Sampling in EQLS to be based on population registers:EQLS contractor do not have direct access to pop. registers in all countriesHaving sample drawn from registers would mean having more reliable sample frame than using random walk method

Larger sample size (than 1000-2000) would contribute to better reliability of statistical estimates

EF is searching for possibilities to implement EQLS with larger sample through partnershipEF invites national governments and social partners to participate in the survey by topping-up the sample for their countryVery low marginal costs for preparation of the fieldwork and relatively low costs of fieldwork per interview

Stakeholders input (national governments and social partners) in redesign of the EQLS questionnaire to be implemented in 2011 by taking part in the Questionnaire Development Group meetings

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Thank you!Thank you!

Blagodaria Blagodaria

Tak Tak

Dank u Dank u

Bedankt Bedankt

AitAitääh h Kiitos Kiitos

Danke schDanke schöön n ΕυχαριστώΕυχαριστώ

KKööszszöönnööm m Go raibh maith agat Go raibh maith agat

Grazie Grazie Paldies Paldies

Dekoju Dekoju

Obrigado Obrigado

Hvala Hvala

Gracias Gracias

Tack Tack

TesekkTesekküür ederim r ederim

MerciMerciDziakuju Dziakuju

Dêkuji Dêkuji

Paldies Paldies

Grazzi Grazzi

DziDzięękujkujęęMultumesc Multumesc

Dakujem Dakujem

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