Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.21857/mwo1vc5r3y
QUALITY OF LIFE, HAPPINESS AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN CROATIA AND EU COUNTRIES, AND COMPARING NORTHWESTERN AND OTHER PARTS OF CROATIA
Ljiljana Kaliterna-Lipovčan
orcid.org/0000-0002-2662-3156
; Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Andreja Brajša-Žganec
orcid.org/0000-0003-0846-6297
; Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar, Zagreb
Abstract
Together with economic indices, happiness, life satisfaction and other subjective perceptions about quality of life and various societal processes in contemporary world became unavoidable in monitoring nation’s social progress. The aim of this study was to compare several parameters that determine quality of life and life satisfaction between citizens of Croatia and other countries in the European Union (EU28). The second aim was to compare within Croatia the same parameters between citizens of North-West region and the rest of Croatia. The data for comparisons between Croatia and EU28 were based on the Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2015 in all countries of EU and several candidate countries. The data for comparisons within Croatia were based on the survey Pilar’s barometer of Croatian society, which was conducted in spring of 2015 on the representative sample of Croatian citizens (N=1000). For the purposes of these analyses the sample was devided into: (1) citizens of Krapina-Zagorje, Zagreb, Varaždin, Međimurje and Koprivnica-Križevci counties (N=196) and (2) citizens of the other regions of Croatia (N=804). Statistical differences were determined by t-test analyses. The comparisons of quality of liofe indices between Croatia and EU28 showed that citizens of Croatia rated their life satisfaction, financial situation in households, general quality of life and trust in various institutions (government, parliament, justice, regional/local authorities) lower than EU28 averages. Especially low citizens rated their trust in local/regional authorities, where Croatia was at the last position within EU28. The only parameter which was rated above EU28 average were expectations about financial situation in one year, where Croatian citizens showed higher optimism than EU28 average. Comparisons within Croatia showed that citizens of North-West region of Croatia expressed higher levels of life satisfaction, satisfaction with family and friends, satisfaction with their feelings of acceptance by the community and feelings of safety in the future. Besides that, citizens of North-West region of Croatia showed higher levels of trust in justice, police, education system, church, health care and EU parliament than the citizens in other regions of Croatia. These results indicate that quality of life in North-West region of Croatia is somewhat higher in several components than in other parts of Croatia.
Keywords
quality of life; happiness; life satisfaction; Croatia; EU
Hrčak ID:
191526
URI
Publication date:
29.12.2017.
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