Romanians’ concerns
Romanians are the most concerned inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe about the increase in poverty or possible food crises.
Leyla Cheamil, 31.10.2024, 14:00
Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly more worried about the increase in poverty, possible food or water crises for longer periods or the deepening of economic differences between people. This is one of the conclusions of the study on the quality of life in 2024 carried out by Kantar Romania. The study reveals how satisfied the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe are with their life in general and regarding different aspects: family, career, social life, income or political life. The research also addresses the current threats perceived by people, as well as the attitude towards the balance between professional and private life or towards a healthier lifestyle.
With that in mind, most citizens in central and eastern Europe are satisfied with their lives, Romanians exceeding the average level of satisfaction in the region. However, although they are satisfied with the family’s financial situation, Romanians are equally dissatisfied with their professional and social life. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, the level of concern is even higher, and Ukraine is facing enormous existential uncertainty. Carmen Pătraşcu, general manager of Kantar Romania, stated that other research also show that Romanians are among the Europeans most satisfied with the life they have. ‘The high level of satisfaction with family life reported by Romanians also in our study may indicate the family as a compensating factor for their various concerns. The family offers strong emotional and social support, which can mitigate the negative effects of economic uncertainty, says Carmen Pătrașcu. She explained that these results can also be proof of realism or caution: Romanians can be satisfied with their current situation but fear the future due to insecurity and the perception of vulnerability in the face of economic changes, and many of them still remember quite well the economic and financial crisis of 2010.
Regarding the satisfaction brought by family life, the Romanians are quite close to the level reported in Austria, but at a greater distance in terms of professional life, and especially in relation to their social life. ‘So, in the case of Romanians, we see a bigger gap compared to Austria, between satisfaction with family life and professional and social life. Except for Ukrainians, the Slovaks and Hungarians have the lowest level of satisfaction on all three dimensions’, say the authors of the study. According to the research, the whole region is disappointed with the political system. Only one person out of five in Central and Eastern Europe is satisfied with the direction in which democracy is heading in their country, with how it is governed and with the representatives on the political stage. In Romania, only 1 in 10 people are satisfied with how they are represented at the political level (president, government, parliament). (LS)
