How satisfied are the Maltese with life? Average, Eurostat says

Maltese nationals have an average outlook on life satisfaction when compared to the rest of the European Union countries, Eurostat data shows.

At 7.1, Malta’s mean rate matched the EU average – the 25-34 age group (7.5 vs 7.3) is the only group which registered a higher than EU average life satisfaction.

“Overall, how satisfied are you with your life these days?” people across the European Union (EU) were asked. 

Life satisfaction represents how a respondent evaluates or appraises his or her life taken as a whole. It has a prominent role as it can be regarded as a key indicator of subjective well-being.

On a scale from 0 (“not satisfied at all”) to 10 (“fully satisfied”), nearly 80% of residents aged 16 and over in the EU rated their overall life satisfaction in 2013 at 6 and higher, with an average (mean) satisfaction of 7.1.

Life satisfaction is a multi-dimensional concept, which is very much shaped by various socio-demographic factors which lead to different living situations as well as to different expectations and preferences, Eurostat says.

While women and men are almost equally satisfied, health condition appears to be one main determining factor in life satisfaction, ahead of factors such as financial position, situation on the labour market or social relations.

On the occasion of the International Day of Happiness on 20 March 2015, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, published a selection of subjective indicators on well-being of people in Europe.

These data on subjective evaluations and perceptions in different domains have been collected for the first time in a comparable way in European official statistics.

The represent the first findings from among the large amount of quality of life indicators which will be published in June 2015 as part of a comprehensive package.

In 2013, mean life satisfaction, measured on a scale of 0 to 10, varied significantly between EU Member States. With an overall average of 8.0, inhabitants in Denmark, Finland and Sweden were the most satisfied with their lives in the EU, followed by those in the Netherlands and Austria (both 7.8). At the opposite end of the scale, residents in Bulgaria (4.8) were by far the least satisfied, followed by those in Greece, Cyprus, Hungary and Portugal (all 6.2).