04/2025
Satisfaction and quality of life in the EU
In this number...
The Living Conditions Survey conducted annually by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE) is carried out in coordination with other European countries, following Eurostat guidelines. The 2024 results of this survey provide a recent comparative analysis across all countries regarding overall life satisfaction.
In 2022, a module on health and quality of life was introduced, with national data published on 24 April 2023.
This edition presents detailed European-level results for some of these indicators, enabling comparisons across different aspects of quality of life and their evolution in recent years.
- The most satisfied country overall in 2013 and the least satisfied retained their positions in 2024 (Finland and Bulgaria, respectively).
- In all EU countries, people aged 16 and over expressed greater satisfaction in 2022 with their personal relationships than with their financial situation or the free time they had to do what they liked to do.
- Belgium recorded the highest percentage of people aged 16 and over who felt happy "always or almost always" in 2022, while Bulgaria had the lowest. Greece and Cyprus showed notably positive trends during the period under review.
- Since 2015, nearly all countries have seen a decline in the percentage of the population meeting frequently with family or friends.
Source: Eurostat
Overall Life Satisfaction
The extremes maintain their position
In 2024, respondents in the EU Member States rated their overall satisfaction with life at 7.2 points, within a range of 0 to 10.
The highest scores were achieved in Finland (7.8), Romania and Slovenia (both with 7.7 points). The lowest scores were observed in Bulgaria (6.2), Greece (6.7), and Latvia (6.9).
The most and least satisfied countries have remained unchanged over the past 11 years, though the score changes since 2013 have moved in opposite directions: Finland decreased by 0.2 points, while Bulgaria increased by 1.4 points.
The average increases by two tenths
The average score within the EU was two tenths of a point higher than in 2013, at seven points, although not all countries have seen an increase in overall life satisfaction over the last 11 years.
The rating dropped half a point in Sweden, four tenths in Denmark and three tenths in Germany.
The most positive developments in the period were recorded in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Portugal. All three countries, together with Hungary, experienced rating increases of one point or more.
Spain, in line with the average
In Spain, the assessment of overall life satisfaction stood at 7.2 points, in line with the EU average, but three tenths of a point higher than in 2013, one more than the EU average.
The Living Conditions Survey (LCS) is an annual statistical operation aimed at households which is conducted in all European Union countries. It is a harmonised statistic supported by Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 October 2019 which establishes a common framework for European statistics related to people and households, based on individual data collected from samples.
Satisfaction with Household Finances, Leisure Time, and Personal Relationships
Household economic situation approved, except in Bulgaria
The average rating for household financial situation in the European Union in 2022 was 6.6 out of 10, half a point higher than in 2013, the first year this data was recorded in the Living Conditions Survey.
This figure differed between countries and underwent changes between 2013 and 2022, not always in the same direction.
While some countries improved the average by one point (Netherlands, Finland), others fell short, with Bulgaria with 4.6 having the lowest score in 2022.
Meanwhile, some of the countries with the highest ratings have experienced some decreases in their ratings in recent years (Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg), while others have gained positions, notably Portugal, Ireland and Cyprus, which gained more than one point compared to 2013.
The average score in Spain was 6.3, below the EU average but up half a point from 2013.
Satisfaction with the time available to us
When it came to satisfaction with available leisure time, the EU average was 6.8, a slight increase of one tenth of a point since 2013. In all countries the rating was above five points.
The most satisfied in this respect were Finland (7.7), Denmark and Slovenia (both 7.5), and the least satisfied were Greece (5.5), Bulgaria (5.7) and Cyprus (6.2).
The highest positive difference compared to 2013 was recorded in Slovenia and Portugal, with 0.7 and 0.5 points more, respectively. Several countries experienced declines in leisure-time satisfaction during this period, with the most significant drops seen in Luxembourg (-0.7), Greece (-0.6), and Cyprus (-0.5).
In Spain, the rating was 6.6, slightly below the EU average and unchanged from 2013.
What we valued most were the personal relationships
Overall, across the EU, the rating of personal relationships was higher than for the previous aspects (financial situation, time availability), with an average score of 7.8, unchanged on average since 2013.
The highest scores were observed in Malta, Austria and Slovenia (8.6 for all three), and the lowest in Bulgaria (6.0), Croatia (7.2) and Greece (7.3), with all countries recording scores of six or more points.
The changes with respect to 2013 were not very pronounced either upwards or downwards, with Estonia being positive (up four tenths) and Denmark and Luxembourg negative (down four tenths).
The rating in Spain was one tenth higher than the EU average (7.9), moving up by one tenth since 2013.
Feelings of Happiness
Belgium and Bulgaria, the happiest and the least happy
According to the 2022 data, 64.0% of the population aged 16 and over in the European Union felt happy always or almost always. This percentage is 6.5 points higher than in 2013.
The highest percentages were observed in Belgium (78.4), Luxembourg (76.9) and Ireland (76.7). On the other hand, Bulgaria (36.5), Latvia (36.8) and the Czech Republic (43.0) recorded the lowest.
Since 2013 the figures have increased in most countries and mainly in Greece (27.6 points higher), Cyprus (16.4) and Portugal (12.4). On the other hand, four countries reduced the percentage of happy people since then: Denmark (-10.6), the Netherlands (-5.6) and Malta (-5.0).
In Spain, the value in 2022 was 3.3 points above the EU average (67.3%) and 3.3 points higher than in the 2013 survey.
Integration with Family and Friends
The most socially integrated population is located in Cyprus
The frequency of meetings with family or friends is used as an indicator of more or less integration with people's immediate environment.
Cyprus (79.2%), Bulgaria (67.3%) and Portugal (67.2%) had the highest percentages of the population aged 16 and over who met very frequently (daily or weekly) with family members. In terms of meeting friends, Cyprus also recorded the highest percentage (77.8%), followed this time by Croatia (71.0%) and Greece (69.3%).
The lowest percentages on this indicator were observed in Estonia (24.5% with family members; 26.1% with friends), Latvia (25.3% with family members; 29.6% with friends) and Lithuania (27.6% with family members; 29.2% with friends).
Fewer meetings with family or friends in 2022 than seven years agos
Spain occupies an intermediate position in the table, with 49.7% of the population meeting very often with family members and 50.7% with friends. Compared to 2015, these figures show a downward trend, with frequent meetings with friends decreasing by 17.6 points and with family members by 12.9 points.
In general in all countries, the evolution in the period 2015-2022 has been towards lower percentages, although there are some significant exceptions in the opposite direction (Bulgaria and Poland), countries that improved integration with family and friends compared to 2015.
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