The average life satisfaction of EU residents in 2022 was 7.1 on a scale of 0 (very dissatisfied) to 10 (very satisfied), as revealed by the recent report of Eurostat, the statistical office of the EU.
In general, EU citizens aged 15-29 reported higher life satisfaction compared to those aged 65 and above.
However, the Eurostat report showed that the opposite was seen in Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Finland.
The difference between the subjective well-being of young people compared to those above 65 was the biggest in Croatia (+1.6 points), Bulgaria (+1.4 points), Lithuania (+1.3 points) and Slovakia (+1.2 points).
Whereas in Germany, the two groups reported the same average life satisfaction.
Among other things, the Eurostat pointed out that countries associated with lower incomes in the recent past, like Romania and Poland, are among those with the highest life satisfaction. In general, the top countries with the highest rating, according to this report, are as follows:
- Austria (7.9)
- Finland (7.7)
- Poland (7.7)
- Romania (7.7)
- Belgium (7.6)
- The Netherlands (7.6)
- Slovenia (7.5)
- Czechia (7.4)
- Ireland (7.4)
- Malta (7.4)
On the other hand, the five EU countries with the lowest ranking are Bulgaria (5.6), Germany (6.5), Greece (6.7), Latvia (6.8), and Croatia (6.8).
In all countries except Bulgaria, average ratings of life satisfaction were above 6, meaning that most people in the EU declared themselves satisfied rather than dissatisfied.
Apart from age, the report indicated that in all Member States, life satisfaction increased also with higher levels of education.
Europeans With Higher Income & Children Report Higher Life Satisfaction
Moreover, according to Eurostat’s report, increased income levels and having children contributed to higher life satisfaction among Europeans.
Regarding the type of household where an individual lives, people in households with dependent children consistently reported the highest levels of life satisfaction.
Despite this, life satisfaction for households with dependent children has seen a slight decrease of 0.3 points between 2018 and 2022.
The report also found that individuals with higher incomes (average of 7.6) tended to be more satisfied with their lives compared to those with lower incomes (average of 6.5).
However, individuals with lower incomes were also satisfied with their lives, according to the report’s findings.
On the other hand, according to the EU 2023 Report on Quality of Life in European Cities, nearly 90 per cent of EU residents expressed satisfaction with life in their city.
The top ten cities that reported the highest number of satisfied residents were: Zurich, Copenhagen, Groningen, Gdansk, Leipzig, Stockholm, Geneva, Rostock, Cluj-Napoca, and Braga.
