TALLINN, Jul 10, BNS – Over three fourths, 76 percent of Estonian citizens, are satisfied with their lives, and 11 percent are very much satisfied, it appears from a Eurobarometer poll carried out by the TNS Emor pollster this spring.
But 24 percent were not satisfied with their lives.
The opinion of Estonian citizens is similar to the EU average where 77 percent of those interviewed were satisfied with their lives.
Naturally citizens of countries of high economic welfare — Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Finland — are the most satisfied with their livees. In Finland, for example, 94 percent of those interviewed found so.
At the other end of the scale were Hungary and Bulgaria where respectively 48 and 40 percent of their people were satidfied with their lives.
In countries that acceeded to the EU in 2004 71 percent and in all the 12 new member countries 65 percent were satisfied with their lives. In Latvia the percentage was 65 and in Lithuania 63 percent.
The relatively high satisfaction of Estonian citizens has persisted over several years. In fall 2004 70 percent, in fall 2006 79 percent and last fall 78 percent of people were satisfied with their lives. As a result the fall against last year was two percentage points.
Satifaction has fallen also in the EU as a whole. Last fall 80 percent of those interviewed were satisfied with their lives in the EU, and three percentage points fewer this year. The fall compared with the fall was similar also in Latvia and Lithuania.
The TNS Emor poll was based on interviews with 1006 citizens of Estonia and of other European Union member countries residing in Estonia.
Tallinn newsroom, +372 610 8861, [email protected]