First European Quality of Life Survey: Key findings from a policy perspective

The fieldwork for the First European Quality of Life survey was conducted in 2003 and the results were published in 2004. This report summarises the main findings of the survey as presented in the reports and explores the implications of these findings for EU policy, along with challenges for future policies. Among the more interesting findings are the perception of strong social support networks across Europe, the differences in levels of satisfaction both within and between countries, and the variation in perceived sources of tension in EU countries. Another key finding is the significant impact of social circumstances on perceived quality of life – for example, the strong influence that individual income levels, as well as national prosperity levels, appear to have on subjective well-being.