Most residents of the European Union are quite satisfied with their lives. The level of satisfaction is decreasing in countries with high levels of contentment, such as Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
EU citizens are generally satisfied with their lives, with the average satisfaction level of individuals over 16 years old being 7.3 out of 10, according to Eurostat data.
Finland ranks first with a score of 7.8, as reported by Euronews.
The big surprise is Romania's second-place ranking, tied with Belgium, Austria, and Slovenia, all at 7.7.
On the other end of the spectrum is Bulgaria, with the highest level of dissatisfaction in the EU, at only 5.9.
How satisfied are EU citizens with their lives
*Data from 2023. Countries with low scores were not included
The data also show a decline in countries with traditionally high levels of contentment: Denmark (from 8.0 to 7.5) and Sweden (from 7.9 to 7.5) have recorded the largest decreases in satisfaction levels over the past decade.
Conversely, the countries with the most significant increases in life satisfaction are Cyprus (from 6.2 to 7.5), Bulgaria (from 4.8 to 5.9), Estonia (from 6.5 to 7.2), Slovenia (from 7.0 to 7.7), and Greece (from 6.2 to 6.9).
In this survey, people were simply asked to rate their life satisfaction from 0 to 10.
The EU is working on a more comprehensive definition of happiness, expanding beyond the usual GDP scores.
Recently, the Commission has identified eight criteria plus an additional one to define the quality of life:
- material living conditions;
- quantity and quality of employment;
- health;
- education;
- leisure time and social interactions;
- economic and physical security;
- governance and basic rights;
- living environment;
- overall life experience.
T.D.