Living conditions and quality of life

Key policy messages

The main findings emerging from Eurofound research serve as input for policymakers to address some of the key issues in this area.

• The perception of tensions in society has the most detrimental impact on trust in institutions, while perceived quality of public services is a key driver for higher trust in institutions.
• More long-term care provision – with greater flexibility – is needed. Home care and assistance should be made more available, especially in those EU Member States where income is lowest.
• Prompt access to primary healthcare, social care and long-term care can trigger early intervention and monitoring of changing needs and prevent the escalation of long-term care problems.
• Mental health issues are increasing for young people, though it is not clear whether this is due to higher incidence or better awareness and diagnosis. Mental health is closely related to other youth issues and can both be an outcome of inequalities and a source of inequality itself. Risk factors for mental health issues include disability and long-term illness, family problems, relationship problems with peers and heavy social media use.
• Although levels of trust and social cohesion recovered overall in the EU since the financial crisis, the onset of COVID-19 has had a significant impact on well-being in countries hardest hit by the pandemic.
• Young people are emerging as one of lockdown’s biggest losers: along with those out of work, young people report the lowest levels of well-being, despite some improvement since the onset of the pandemic. While life satisfaction and optimism increased since April 2020, young people continue to feel excluded from society and remain at greatest risk of depression, showing that restrictions during lockdown affect them more.
• Measures to mitigate the mental health risks of the unemployed and young people in the wake of COVID-19 will be critical in any further waves of the Coronavirus. Providing targeted support to allow those seeking work to get back on track and cope with the impact of the pandemic, as well as ensuring that young people can fully participate in society, must be part of ongoing policy measures.
• The COVID-19 crisis has eroded levels of optimism and affected the work–life balance of women more than men. Repairing this damage will be critical to ensure women do not pay disproportionately for the pandemic.
• Maintaining citizens’ trust in national and European institutions must remain a key focus in times of crisis, as compliance with measures to control COVID-19 greatly depends on levels of trust in institutions and scientific advice. The increase in levels of institutional trust reported by respondents who benefited from support measures also sends a clear message to national governments and the EU.

During 2021–2024, Eurofound’s research will provide an important insight into the challenges and prospects in the area of living conditions and quality of life in the EU and the role played by various initiatives aimed at alleviating the social hardship of various groups of citizens. Of particular interest are the implications for older people and care needs, youth and their social inclusion and social mobility, and the varying consequences of the crisis on men and women.

Public services across the EU played a major role in addressing the COVID-19 crisis while facing significant challenges and they will be assessed in greater detail, focusing on issues such as quality, access and affordability. As previous findings have shown, the crisis has had disproportionate effects on certain groups according to age, care responsibilities and work-life balance, and Eurofound will analyse this further.

In coordination with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), Eurofound intends to research the multidimensional gender gap by investigating the impact on men and women of the COVID-19 crisis in terms of employment participation, material living conditions and well-being – in order to identify the differences and assess its effect on gender gaps.

Eurofound’s research aims to assist policy action addressing the challenges and opportunities for the EU and national levels in the area of living conditions and quality of life. In particular, it will monitor the impact of COVID-19 and the ensuing economic crisis by providing knowledge on status, trends, risks, as well as ways to improve living conditions in the EU. Eurofound will focus on identifying and analysing pressing issues for the most vulnerable groups, specifically older citizens and young people. Eurofound will also inform policymakers by producing evidence on trends and drivers in relation to the delivery of public services, also linking in, for example, with the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The Agency’s work plan is aligned with the European Commission’s political guidelines over the next four years, directly feeding into a number of key policy areas aimed at creating a strong social Europe. In particular, the research will support policy initiatives and activities linked with the implementation of the European Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025, the Youth Guarantee, the Child Guarantee and the European Semester and its country-specific recommendations.

• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: An economy that works for people
• European Commission: Priorities 2019-2024: Promoting our European way of life
• European Commission: Priorities 2019–2024: A new push for European democracy

In 2024, Eurofound continues to monitor trends in living conditions and quality of life, against the backdrop of the health-related and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implications of the war in Ukraine, rising energy prices, and increases in costs of living. Building on the various rounds of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey, as well as on data gathered in 2023, the Agency investigates the impact of these challenges on the living conditions of Europeans.

The European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) commences in 2024, including some questions on working conditions and living conditions relevant to the aftermath of COVID-19. The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) follows in 2026 using lessons drawn from the 2024 EWCS.

Research concludes on identifying groups not covered by social protection, due to coverage gaps and non-take-up of minimum income and unemployment schemes. It also looks at adequacy of these benefits, digitalisation of application procedures, linked service entitlements and sanctioning measures. Eurofound also publishes its findings on EU citizens’ rights and opportunities to live independently. It analyses the situation faced by various vulnerable groups and provides an overview of measures that facilitate family- and community-based care and support in the Member States.

Building on previous work on young people, research concludes on the life and prospects of young people in the post-pandemic era. Using new data collected in 2023, this research assesses the long-term impact of the pandemic on this group, looking into changes in the social situation of young people, as well as their quality of life, mental health and future prospects.

Analysis of the monitoring framework of the European Child Guarantee comes to an end in 2024, while new research starts to support national governments and the EU institutions in the implementation and evaluation of the Child Guarantee since it came into force. This work investigates the Member States’ levels of performance and their disparities, building on its previous work on convergence. It focuses on the workforce needed to deliver the Child Guarantee in areas of early childhood education and care, education, healthcare and other relevant sectors.

Considering the importance of care provision in EU societies, new research investigates informal care provision in the EU, the challenges faced by informal caregivers, and the measures in place to support them. This research considers care provided to people of all ages, while taking into consideration the diversity among informal carers. 

Eurofound launches new research on mental health services, investigating trends in and prevalence of mental health problems for different groups and how these needs are met in various countries in light of the pandemic and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees.