The following compares Irish data to the figures published by Eurostat on other countries in the EU-27, using SILC. For further information, please see link here.
Overall life satisfaction
In 2018, Ireland had the joint highest mean score for overall life satisfaction with Finland at 8.1, while the EU-27 had an average of 7.3. Compared to 2013, Ireland saw the second largest increase in mean score for overall life satisfaction, increasing by 0.6 points from 7.5 in 2013. Bulgaria reported the lowest mean overall life satisfaction score with a value of 5.4 in 2018.
Satisfaction with financial situation
Ireland had the largest increase in financial satisfaction in the EU-27, with an increase from 5.5 in 2013 to 7.1 in 2018. In 2013, Ireland was the 18 highest ranked country alongside Slovakia for satisfaction with financial situation, while in 2018 Ireland was ranked sixth highest in the EU-27.
Within the EU-27, Denmark, Finland and Sweden had the highest mean score for financial situation at 7.6. Bulgaria had the lowest mean score in 2018 at 4.3, followed by Greece, Croatia and Lithuania, each with a mean score of 5.2.
Satisfaction with personal relationships
Ireland, Malta, Austria and Slovenia had the highest mean scores for satisfaction with personal relationships at 8.6 in 2018. For Ireland this figure is unchanged since 2013, when it was also ranked highest in the EU-27. Bulgaria and Greece were the lowest ranked countries in the EU-27 in 2018, with scores of 6.6 and 7.1 respectively.
Satisfaction with job
In 2018, Ireland had the third highest mean score for job satisfaction at 7.8, which was an increase on the 2013 figure of 7.2. Finland had the highest score at 8.1, while the average across the EU-27 was 7.2 in 2018 the lowest ranked country was Greece at 6.2, followed by Bulgaria at 6.4.
Being happy
In 2018, Ireland had the highest percentage of people reporting being happy either all or most of the time at 80.4%. Belgium and the Netherlands had the next highest corresponding figures at 76.3% and 76.2% respectively, while Latvia had the lowest figure at 30.7%.
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