1. Quality of life : report to the DSS

2. The sponsorship about the SSF report
Four Task Forces
GDP and inequalities
Environnemental conditions
Quality of life
4th Task Force
Composition of the 3rd TF
Eurostat, Insee
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, UK, OECD, UN-ECE

3. Mandate of the TF
provide indicators of quality of life as recommended in the SSF report
propose indicators that can be computed for sub-populations, such as EU2020 vulnerable populations
take into account both objective and subjective dimensions of QoL
discuss about the opportunity to propose (or not) indicators using income, consumption or wealth variables
consistency with the mandate of TF1
consistency with the computation for sub-populations

4. The SSF report Considers that QoL is multidimensional
Claims that objective and subjective dimensions of welfare are both essential
Recommends that :
For every dimension of the quality of life inequalities can be measured
Links between the different dimensions can be estimated with specific surveys
The mandate of the TF is to propose indicators of Quality of life in line with the report’s recommendations

5. Principles of computation
Consider that both objective and subjective dimensions are in the scope of the report
Propose and discuss the computation of a synthetic indicator for every dimension of QoL
using items, scores and thresholds for qualitative variables (the most common situation)
Recommend the production of “radar” figures for viewing dimensions
Discuss about the proposition of headline indicators, rather than composite indicators

6. The main objective dimensions of QoL in the report
Living conditions
health
education
personal activities (paid work, unpaid domestic work, commuting, leisure, housing),
political voice and governance,
social connections,
environnemental conditions,
personal insecurity,
economic insecurity

7. An example of what could be done

8. Interactions between dimensions
computation of individual correlations between indicators by dimension
usefulness of having a core survey (EU-SILC)
possibility of using all the available surveys of the ESS (and outside the ESS)
opportunities of data matching
usefulness of core variables to compute synthetic indicators with variables coming from different surveys
Experimentation of data matching

9. Improve dissemination
a yearly dissemination based on EU-SILC
in the short term, publish before the end of the TF a first trial of dashboard with indicators of quality of life for UE, with existing data
be careful to timeliness : availability before the end of the current year
a more comprehensive report (every five years ?) based on many surveys
be careful of the comparability between countries for these surveys (quality)

10. Discussion about subjective dimensions
Continuum between subjective and objective dimensions
Discussion about the required quality for NSI
variables used in the computation of subjective dimensions
can or not come from official surveys
Question of the introduction of subjective variables in official surveys (as in some countries of the UE)

11. Which subjective dimensions of quality of life ?
Life satisfaction in general
The most popular question
Satisfaction related to specific aspects
standard of living, family relations, public services,..
Economic strain ?
More related to objective dimensions ?
Confidence
In in other people
in the institutions
in the future…
Tensions between social groups
Age, income, origin

12. Pending questions
Introduction of (more) subjective questions in official surveys ?
Use of existing surveys out of the ESS
Quality
Timeliness
Assessment and support for improvement from the ESS

13. To be discussed in the future in the TF
propositions for modifications in existing surveys, without increasing the burden on NSI
Revision of the EU-SILC regulation with rolling modules instead of ad-hoc modules ?
integration of questions about QoL in future European surveys, such as health, safety, wealth surveys
improve comparability for HBS and TUS, which can provide indicators

14. Next steps Sofia conference Next meetings Opportunities
First propositions at the end of the year in Brussels
First draft of the report at the beginning of 2011
Opportunities
Revision of the regulation for EU-SILC
Preparation of the 2013 ad-hoc module about subjective well-being
New surveys in the ESS