Pessimistic one day, happy the next

PEOPLE LIVING in Ireland are among the happiest, healthiest and most satisfied in Europe, according to a new study published today.

The latest survey is in stark contrast to a survey released yesterday which found Irish people to have the darkest outlook on the economy and to believe the current crisis will last longer here than anywhere else.

The latest study, the Second European Quality of Life Survey, was carried out by Dublin-based EU agency Eurofound between September 2007 and February 2008. It questioned 35,000 people in the 27 EU states, the three candidate countries and Norway.

According to the results, Irish respondents gave themselves a rating of eight out of a possible 10 in terms of happiness, a figure bettered only by the four Scandinavian countries. Irish levels of satisfaction are also well above average, trailing only the Scandinavian nations, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The least satisfied people in Europe are in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Hungary.

Almost 90 per cent of Irish respondents said they were cheerful and in good spirits more than half the time.

Household incomes in Ireland, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the UK are over one-third higher than the EU average. Three-quarters of Irish respondents said they found it easy to make ends meet and 42 per cent said they regarded themselves as well paid.

Some 62 per cent said it was unlikely they would lose their jobs in the next 12 months, while fewer than 4 per cent felt it very likely they would lose their jobs.

Up to half of Irish respondents, among the highest levels in Europe, would like to see strict limits on the numbers of people coming to work in the country.

Irish people rated their health at 7.8 out of 10 – joint sixth out of the 31 countries surveyed. Just 3 per cent of those polled in Ireland described their health as bad or very bad, compared to 9 per cent across the EU. People’s perceived levels of health decrease over time, with the over-65s reporting the worst health and the 18-35 age group the best.

On access to quality healthcare, the Irish rate their healthcare system on a par with Greece and Portugal, just ahead of Bulgaria and Macedonia. Nearly three-quarters of Irish respondents said they were optimistic about the future, while just under 15 per cent said they were pessimistic. Only the Scandinavians, Dutch and Belgians are more optimistic than the Irish.

The survey finds that those living with partners and children reported higher levels of satisfaction with life. Irish people rated the State pension scheme and public transport poorly, yet the education system scored higher than the European average.

In the survey released yesterday of almost 1,000 adults, which was carried out by Behaviour Attitudes last month, most respondents believed the current economic situation was the worst it has been in their lifetime. half believed it would get worse in six months.