The measurement of the quality of The measurement of the quality of society as part of monitoring social society as part of monitoring social
progressprogressTadas Leoncikas ([email protected])
Research manager, Surveys and Trends Unit, Eurofound
Social Reporting in Europe 2011: Measuring and Monitoring Social Progress in European Societies
Villa Vigoni, 10 March 2011
European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS)European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS)as a monitoring toolas a monitoring tool
• Aim of the EQLS - to provide a comprehensive portrait of quality of life and living conditions in European countries, including all EU Member States and Candidate Countries, through broad thematic coverage, analysis of disparities, and trend monitoring.
• The EQLS responds to demands for monitoring social progress and well-being:
serves as a rich source of information about contemporary European societies, relevant for both research and policy communities;
resonates with Stiglitz report and growing interest in non-monetary aspects of well-being;
is among sources outlined in European Commission’s ‘GDP and beyond’and can also inform and guide the Europe 2020 agenda on inclusive growth.
EQLS EQLS –– key features of the surveykey features of the survey
35,00031,50026,000Total # of int. in EU27
1000-30001000-2000 600-1000Sample size
30+3128Country coverage
201120072003
Representative household survey among country residents aged 18 and overStratified multistage sampling (regions – settlements - PSU – addresses - individuals)
Input harmonised survey (common questionnaire for F2F interview)
Frequency of the survey: every 4 years
Also, a set of 19 EQLS indicators was incorporated in Special Eurobarometersurveys in 2009 and 2010.
EurofoundEurofound’’ss conceptual framework conceptual framework of measuring quality of life in EQLSof measuring quality of life in EQLS
• Scope that people have to attain their goals. • Quality of life is measured by objective as well subjective indicators. • Quality of life as overarching frame that entails concepts at level of
individual, family, community, and society.
• EQLS is based on a multi-dimensional concept of QoL:Goes beyond focus on living conditions or resources,The survey covers broad spectrum of domains of life (employment,housing, family, health, community, participation in society, socioeconomic (in)security);and analyses interrelationship between domains (such as work, family, health and wellbeing);Addresses quality of society: trust, intergroup relations, quality of public and neighbourhood services.
EQLS series of analytical reportsEQLS series of analytical reports
Quality of life in the EU CandidateCountries
Family life and work
Quality of life in ethnic neighbourhoods
Evaluating the quality of society and public services Evaluating the quality of society and public services ––indicators in EQLSindicators in EQLS
• Interpersonal trust
• Trust in institutions
• Perceived social tensions
• Evaluation of public services
• Access to health care
• Neighbourhood quality
Quality of public services Quality of public services (EQLS 2007)(EQLS 2007)
4,8
6,16,26,36,0
5,5
1,0
10,0
Publictransport
Educationsystem
Healthservices
Child care Careservices
for elderly
Statepensionsystem
Source: EQLS 2007 – Rose, Newton (2010)
Public Services Index (EQLS 2007)
Score: average evaluations of 6 services on 1-10 scale : education, healthcare, public transport, childcare, elderly care, pension systems
PublicPublic expenditureexpenditure as % as % ofof GDPGDP/ Publ.service Index/ Publ.service Index
r=0.30
Source:
EQLS 2007 –
Rose, Newton (2010)
Multilevel model of public services indexMultilevel model of public services index(variance accounted for: 19.4%)(variance accounted for: 19.4%)
.26.000.05Church attendance-.29.000-.10Number of political contacts-.21.000-.21Long-term citizen
-.29.000.01-.05Number of deprivation items1.12.000.02.22Income adequacy-.12.002-.12Further educationnsUrban; Female; Age; Mix backgr.nsRegion, % of EU average GDPns.0810.2-.05Gini coef. (Eurostat 2004)
1.31.000.05.23Transparency Int. (CPI index)
Impact (B x range)
PSt.err.B coeff.
Source: EQLS 2007 – Rose, Newton (2010)
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged evaluate services worse than those who are better off.
• Perception of service quality does not directly depend on one’s sociodemographic group (gender or age are not decisive; elderly have slightly higher eval.);
• However: life satisfaction during crisis fell most amongthose less well off – e.g. elderly in NMS
• Challenge for survey design: universal vs particular questions.
New indicators for EQLS 2011New indicators for EQLS 2011
• Expanding list of evaluated public services: health serviceseducation systempublic transport child care services (2003, 2007, 2011)long term care servicessocial/municipal housing
• Adding questions on difficulties in accessing services for:long-term care childcare
• Rating financial adequacy of:state old age pensionsunemployment benefitschild benefits
EQLS 2007, Q25. In all countries there sometimes exists tension between social groups. In your opinion, how much tension is there between each of the following groups in this country?
Poor and rich people
Management and workers
Men and women
Old people and young people
Different racial and ethnic groups
Different religious groups
Groups with different sexual orientation (test in 2011)
Social tensionsSocial tensions
Level of Level of perceived social tensions (EU27)perceived social tensions (EU27)
36%
37%
44%
30%
32%
40%
33%
35%
42%
33%
33%
42%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Poor and rich people
Management andworkers
Different ethnic groups
2003
2007
2009
2010
Source: EQLS for 2003, 2007; EB for 2009, 2010
Source: EQLS 2007. Percentage reporting ‘a lot of tension’
Differences between the EU countries Differences between the EU countries on quality indexeson quality indexes
Source: EQLS 2007 – Rose, Newton (2010: p. 53)
42
61 6574
84 83 81
153 149144
124112 109
120
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
Low econ Low relig- Political Public Neighbour- Access to Standardisedtension racial trust services hood health average
tension services score
The EQLS findings for The EQLS findings for assessing the quality of society across countriesassessing the quality of society across countries
• No country is consistently above/below average on the EQLS indexes of quality of society.
• Most extensive country differences are by the level and dominant type of perceived social tensions (even though Public services index easier to be used for ‘progress monitoring’)
• Perceived corruption has an outstanding influence on a number of dimensions of q. of society.
- - -• The wellbeing will not be understood and explained fully
if analysis will remain on individual level only.
Eurofound report (2010) by R.Rose and K.NewtonEvaluating the quality of society and public services:
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef09110.htm
See more EQLS results on Survey Map Tool:http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys/smt/eqls/results.htm
Free access to Eurofound survey data sets at UKDA:http://www.esds.ac.uk/aandp/access/online_form.asp
Thank you!
