Eurostat data on living conditions and welfare aims to show a comprehensive picture of the current living conditions in the European Union (EU), covering variables related to income, poverty, social exclusion and other living conditions – all social exclusion and housing condition information is collected at the household level.
The demand for information on living conditions and welfare received a new impetus following the social chapter of the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) which became the driving force for EU social statistics. This impetus was reinforced by successive European Councils that have kept the social dimension high on the political agenda.
At the European level, data comes from three different sources:
- the Household Budget Surveys (HBSs)
- the EU-SILC (Community Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) instrument
- The European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS).
Poverty and social exclusion are de facto multidimensional problems. Therefore a subset of so-called ’social cohesion indicators’ has been developed within the structural indicators to monitor them effectively at a European level. Additionally, a broader portfolio of social inclusion indicators are calculated under the Open Method of Coordination for Social Protection and Social Inclusion.
Further Eurostat information
Database
- Population and social conditions
- Living conditions and welfare see:
- Consumption expenditure of private households
- Income and living conditions
- Social protection
- Key indicators on EU policy (predefined tables)