How Free, Equal and Connected Do People in Europe Feel Today?
It proves to be a big majority, who feels free, equal and connected. Almost three quarter of the Europeans (74%) say they feel free to do what they want. About 6 out of 7 Europeans agree with the statements “Where I live, I feel equal to others” (86%) and “I feel connected to the country where I live” (85%), while 77% feel connected to the neighbourhood where they live.
No significant difference can be found between men and women. In general, men and women in Europe feel free, equal and connected in about the same proportions.
Europe, split by age group, does reveal clear differences. The young adults (21-30) tend to feel more free. The older age groups feel more connected to their country and to their neighbourhood.
People in the Nordic countries, UK and the Netherlands feel most free in the 21 surveyed European countries. Over 85% of them say yes to “I feel free to do what I want”. Russia is on the other extreme, where about half of its urban population feels free. The Danish and Swedish are also in the top of the list for equality. Almost all of the Danish and Swedish agree with the statement “Where I live, I feel equal to others”. The Turkish score relatively low on equality. However still 70% of the Turkish feel equal to others, where they live.
The Swedish feel most connected to their neighbourhood (94%), and practically all Austrians (99%) feel connected to the country where they live.
When the total European population is compared with the Top 13% income group, Europe’s Affluent, it is remarkable to find similar proportions of people feeling equal and connected within the Affluent. However, the higher income group does clearly differ from the total on freedom. 85% of the Affluent say they feel free to do what they want, compared to 74% of the total population.
