Lebensqualität in Deutschland und Europa

Germany’s economy has performed well compared to other EU Member States and income is relatively high. Nevertheless, quality of life depends on more than a country‘s income alone. While Germany has become richer since 2007, more people report difficulties making ends meet. Many are struggling with debts. Arrears on ‘informal‘ debts with family and friends are more common than elsewhere in the EU. People in Germany trust their institutions, but this is much less the case for people who report difficulties making ends meet. Work-life balance problems are rarer in Germany than elsewhere in the EU. Women do more housework than men, but more often than elsewhere in the EU consider this to be fair. Quality of, and access to, public services is generally assessed favourably. Nevertheless, cost of long-term care, availability of childcare and waiting times for healthcare make it difficult to access these services relatively often. Overall, there is scope for improvement of several dimensions of quality of life, with particular attention to inequalities.