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Living conditions and quality of life

Living conditions and quality of life is one of Eurofound's main operational activities for the 2025–2028 programming period. Building on the past 50 years of research, Eurofound continues to monitor living conditions, cohesion and convergence in Europe, aiming to map and analyse key elements for the improvement of living conditions, including people’s perceptions of quality of life and society.

Eurofound’s priorities for 2025–2028 are shaped by the opportunities and challenges arising from four mega-drivers: demographic change, climate change, technological change and re-globalisation. Research in this activity examines the social implications of the transition to a climate-neutral economy, focusing on sustainable behaviours, distributional effects and social cohesion. Eurofound also examines the social impact of technological change and artificial intelligence, including the digital divide and the living conditions of those working in new forms of work. The research focuses on different groups and also examines their needs and access to public services and social protection.

The next iteration of the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), to be fielded in 2026, offers a new perspective on the impact of the four mega-drivers and the compounded challenges on quality of life and material living conditions in Europe.

Topic

Recent updates

Eurofound research 2025

In 2025, Eurofound’s annual update on convergence and living conditions in Europe places a special focus on emerging trends and new challenges that Europe is facing. The Agency continues to monitor economic and social inequalities among sociodemographic groups and geographical entities. In this regard, Eurofound plans to carry out new research on regional convergence, expanding the work done in the previous programming period.

Work concluding during 2025 includes:

  • investigation of care provision and the role of informal carers
  • analysis of policy actions undertaken to prevent and address mental health problems in Europe
  • research on trends, risks and opportunities of digitalisation in social protection
  • a study on the implementation of the European Child Guarantee, with a special emphasis on the workforce
  • research on the possible impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wealth inequality
  • analysis of social cohesion and new forms of inclusive participation
  • evidence on the socioeconomic impact of the transition to a carbon-neutral economy

Research commences on a number of other topics.

  • Caring for care services: Focusing in 2025 on access to care services, including childcare, healthcare and long-term care
  • Social protection: Focusing on children and the European Child Guarantee, producing an overview of the implementation of the European Child Guarantee in the EU Member States and updating the European Child Guarantee Monitor
  • European Green Deal: Investigating the social implications of the green transition on the cost of living, housing and transport
  • Social cohesion: Analysing the level of support from citizens for the green transition and its implications for social cohesion, using data from the Living and Working in the EU e-survey
  • Geographical disparities and convergence: Investigating the trends in and dynamics of disparities between Member States and regions across economic, social, environmental and institutional dimensions

What our experts say

Tadas Leončikas, Head of the Employment Unit

Listen to our podcasts on issues around living conditions and quality of life

Eurofound Talks - A podcast series

Linking in with EU priorities

2025 marks the first year of the five-year period of the EU policy and legislative cycle for 2025–2029. The various strands of work in this research activity, including the research on the impact of the cost of living, housing, public services, vulnerable groups and the European Child Guarantee, aims to support the work of EU policymakers in monitoring and implementing the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The EU agenda on promoting inclusive and accessible social services for citizens is supported by research on public services, with a focus on care services. This work feeds into the EU’s objective of ensuring high-quality and sustainable care provision throughout the EU as per the European Care Strategy and the Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health.

The Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disability 2021–2030 could benefit from Eurofound’s work on the social and employment inclusion of people with disabilities.

Social protection research could inform the Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion and the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed.

The European Green Deal could be informed by Eurofound’s investigation of the social impact of the green transition, its impact on energy poverty and social cohesion, and the citizen consensus around it. And the European AI Strategy is supported by the work on the impact of AI on European societies and related living conditions, while the EU digital agenda is informed by Eurofound’s work on e-healthcare and the living conditions of platform and ICT-based mobile workers.

Key outputs

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The post-pandemic recovery of Europe continued in 2023, with strong job creation despite subdued economic growth, against a background of rising geopolitical tension. Eurofound’s research over the year brought to...

2 Gegužė 2024
Publication
Annual report
Publications results (314)

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

27 January 2020

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 a

19 December 2019

This report maps developments in the size of the middle class in the EU between 2004 and 2015 using Eurostat’s SILC survey, and analyses life satisfaction by income quartile (using Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Surveys). Before the crisis, the middle classes had expanded in around two-thirds

30 October 2019

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

22 October 2019

Good quality public services are a key element in EU debate and contribute greatly to meeting needs for health and welfare, and enabling people to participate in society and the labour market.

15 October 2019

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.

11 July 2019

In recent years, concerns have been expressed at EU and national level that the combined stresses arising from school, parental expectations and societal pressures can make the transition to adulthood difficult for young people – with the risk of a long-lasting negative impact. One way of easing the

03 July 2019

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

28 June 2019

Following the influx of over three million asylum seekers into the European Union in the three-year period 2015–2017, Member States faced a number of challenges related to integrating the newly arrived into their country. This report explores the role of public services – specifically housing

19 June 2019

Living and working in Europe 2015–2018 brings together Eurofound’s work on the quality of life, work and employment of EU citizens over the last four years of the outgoing European Parliament and Commission. It has a been a period of economic expansion, growing employment and rising living standards

20 May 2019

Online resources results (223)

Controversial health sector reform proposed

On 18 January 2000, the Minister of Health, Tore Tønne, presented a government proposal for a public health sector reform. The reform involves a transfer of the ownership of all public hospitals from the county authorities to the state, and a complete financial and organisational restructuring of

Rescuing Ireland's social pact

Over the course of 2000, the current national agreement, the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness [1] (PPF) (IE0003149F [2]), became subject to considerable pressure as workers and trade unions pushed for compensation for increases in the cost of living (IE0010159F [3]). Inflation stood at 6.8% as

Study examines gender differences in working and living conditions

An interdisciplinary research project on modern working and living conditions for women and men [1] (Moderna arbets- och livsvillkor för kvinnor och män, MOA), aimed at developing policies and methods better adjusted to modern working and living conditions, has been carried out recently in

Flexible career options introduced in the Flemish not-for-profit sector

In late October 2000, the Flemish minister of employment, Renaat Landuyt (of the Socialist Party), reached an agreement with employers' and employees' organisations on the practical implementation of an agreement for the not-for-profit (also known as "social profit") sector - welfare, healthcare and

New centralised incomes policy agreement concluded

The Finnish central social partners - except AKAVA, the trade union confederation representing professionals with a high level of education - successfully concluded negotiations over a new centralised incomes policy agreement on 17 November 2000. The two-year wage agreement will mean an increase in

Commission issues new employment package

On 6 September 2000, the European Commission issued an employment package within the framework of the "Luxembourg employment strategy" (EU9711168F [1]), enshrined in Article 128 the EC Treaty. This requires Member States to formulate annual National Action Plans (NAP s) on employment, based on

Pensioners' trade union organisations examined

Pensioners' trade union organisations are an important component of Italian trade union confederations, today representing about half of their total membership. These bodies have progressively taken an important role in all level of social dialogue and collective bargaining on welfare issues, as

Cheap labour conflict continues in merchant shipping

Despite a government decision to grant subsidies to shipowners, tensions over "outflagging" and the use of foreign labour in Finnish merchant shipping continued in August 2000, with a shipowner hiring Polish seafarers. The Finnish Seafarers' Union considers these contracts of employment invalid and

Conflicts highlight regulation of industrial disputes

There is widespread consensus among the Austrian social partners that strikes and other forms of industrial action should be prevented. However, recent debates about the current government's reform plans, especially those relating to pensions and expenditure cuts in the social welfare system, have

Care services in private hands as local authorities increase use of outsourcing

Outsourcing, or contracting-out, of tasks to private enterprises has been expanding rapidly among local authorities and this development will gain increasing momentum, according to a new study [1] carried out by the municipal sector employers' organisation, the National Association of Local


Blogs results (32)
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Discussions on Germany at European level invariably focus on the country’s strong economic performance and how this relates to the labour market and broader society. This is a narrative I have myself contributed to in a previous blog piece. However, Eurofound’s European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS)

7 Kovas 2018
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The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), carried out by Eurofound every four years, explores a variety of aspects related to living standards, health, family and work–life balance, as well as people's happiness levels, satisfaction with their lives, and their perceptions regarding the quality of

21 Vasaris 2018
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In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Eurofound Research Officer Daniel Molinuevo looks at the service providers delivering long-term care to older people in Europe.

18 Sausis 2018
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In this blog piece, originally published in Social Europe, Eurofound Research Manager Anna Ludwinek looks at the substantial section of the population that is not working and does not figure in unemployment statistics, but retains significant employment potential.

20 Gruodis 2017
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Europe – a world-class place to live and work? ‘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

7 Gruodis 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 Spalis 2017
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Average unemployment rates continue to fall across Europe, employment is growing again in middle-paying jobs, offshoring is on the decline, the proportion of routine jobs is falling, and efforts to make work more sustainable have borne fruit.

6 Birželis 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 Balandis 2017
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There are limits to the effectiveness of member states’ pension reforms. Europe, it’s often said, is experiencing a worsening ageing crisis. European governments grappling with this and the related unsustainability of many pension schemes have taken measures to keep older workers longer in employmen

26 Rugsėjis 2016
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In this blog piece, originally posted on Social Europe, Eurofound Director Juan Menéndez-Valdés looks the complex and multi-faceted story of what it is to live and work in the European Union of today.

13 Birželis 2016

Upcoming publications results (10)

This policy brief provides the yearly update on convergence in the EU using the methodology and software developed by Eurofound. This year, the analysis focuses on social fragmentation and investigates whether the economic and social distances between sociodemographic groups have increased in recent

December 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Policy brief

Europe is faced with a housing crisis that affects people of all ages, however younger people are disproportionately impacted. Many young adults are unable to afford their own home, often having to remain living in their parental home. This crisis has wide-reaching consequences, influencing opportun

December 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

This report maps the state of digitalisation of social benefit systems in the EU Member States and Norway. It examines to extent to which interaction with citizens and back-office processes have been digitalised. The study highlights areas where digital technologies have been introduced to improve

October 2025

This report provides an overview of the situation of children across Europe, including the services they use and the areas and issues that require attention from policymakers. The report focuses on identifying inequalities between different groups of children and analysing how these have changed

July 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

This report investigates the polarisation of attitudes and opinions among Europeans over 20 years, based on data from the European Social Survey. It investigates trends and national variations in polarisation, examining whether values and attitudes have become oppositional over time, and explores th

July 2025

Poor mental health, especially anxiety and depression, affects many people in the EU. Trends impacting mental health include the change from physical to digital work environments, climate change, inequality and people’s concerns about their economic situation. While poor mental health was already pr

July 2025

This study examines wealth inequality trends across European Union countries, utilising data from the European Central Bank’s Household Finance and Consumption Survey (HFCS) and covering the period 2010 to 2021. It explores key drivers of wealth distribution, including housing wealth, savings behavi

July 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

As countries face increasing pressures when it comes to the provision of care services, unpaid caregivers make an invaluable contribution. Care is needed at all ages of life, particularly when individuals face health issues or disabilities. This report investigates the situation of unpaid carers,

July 2025
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

Digitalisation has been on the EU policy agenda since 2000. While significant progress has been made in this regard, the digital transformation is not yet complete. This report seeks to deepen our understanding of the evolution towards a digital Europe. By applying the convergence lens, this report

June 2025
Data results (1)
24 Spalis 2023
Reference period:

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