Change in the quality of life in different countries of the world: Assessment on the EQLS database

Abstract

The European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) is a tool that assesses quality of life across different aspects. Monitoring the quality-of-life indicators in times of crisis and post-crisis is crucial for human resource management as the quality-of-life indicators provide valuable insights into the well-being and needs of employees. The study aimed to examine the impact of social and economic changes on the selected quality of life areas of the EU population by analyzing data from the ESQL of 2016 and 2020. It was found that the average EU life satisfaction score went down. In 2020, the EU optimism average dropped when compared to 2016. According to 2020 survey data, EU citizens found coping with life’s challenges harder than in 2016. The EU average regarding the difficulty of dealing with essential issues in life increased by 1.5% in 2020 compared to 2016. The time needed to get back to normality after some mishaps was also investigated. The EU average regarding subjective feelings of tension rose by 7.4%. In comparison to 2016, depression and downheartedness grew stronger across the EU nations and the EU average in 2020. The average value increased by 6.8%. The changes may provide insights into the effects of social and economic trends on people’s well-being across Europe. AcknowledgmentThe paper is written under the project Multiplier effects of human capital quality on economic performance and competitiveness of the Slovak economy and supported by the Grant Agency VEGA of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic [No. 1/0357/21].

Keywords

• depression
• health and mental well-being indicator
• life satisfaction
• optimism
• subjective well-being indicator