Eurobarometer report: Just 18% of Greeks feel “life is fair” but 81% of Danes

The majority of Europeans feel that they are treated fairly in terms of opportunities in education, income, social status and inter-generational mobility. to get ahead at 58 percent. However, there are huge disparities in the 28-member block. According to Eurobarometer’s annual survey Fairness Report, just 18 percent of Greeks believe that life is fair, while the Danes feel life is fair at 81 percent. At the same time, many Europeans are concerned about how fairly justice and political decisions are implemented in their countries.

The main findings of the Eurobarometer survey cover education, income, social status and inter-generational mobility. They also address perceptions of migration and globalisation, the former being one of the drivers of rising inequalities and the latter being a proxy for political preferences which are among the determinants of attitudes to fairness and inequality:

• More than half of respondents think that people have equal opportunities to get ahead (58%). However, this figure hides substantial regional disparities, with 81% agreeing in Denmark, but only 18% in Greece.

• Respondents are less optimistic about fairness in specific fields. Only 39% are confident that justice always prevails over injustice, while the same proportion disagrees. Even more pessimistically, only 32% agree that political decisions are applied consistently to all citizens and 48% disagree. Overall, people are more likely to perceive things to be fair if they are better educated, younger, and better-off.

• The overwhelming majority think that income differences are too great (84%), ranging from 96% in Portugal and 92% in Germany to 59% in the Netherlands. In all countries except Denmark more than 60% agree that governments should take measures to reduce differences.

• For getting ahead in life, good health and quality education are regarded as essential or important by 98% and 93% of respondents respectively. Working hard and knowing the right people are also deemed essential or important by more than 90%. Coming from a wealthy family, having political connections, being of a specific ethnic origin or birth gender are seen as less important.
• Fewer than half of respondents (46%) believe that opportunities to get ahead have become more equal compared to 30 years ago, with more than 70% agreeing in Malta, Finland and Ireland, but fewer than 25% in Croatia, France and Greece.
• Overall, 47% of Europeans think that globalisation is a good thing and 21% disagree. 39% think migration into their country is a good thing while 33% do not.

The Special Eurobarometer 471 “Fairness, inequality and inter-generational mobility” was conducted through face to face interviews between 2 and 11 December 2017. A total of 28,031 people were interviewed in 28 EU countries.

The earlier fairness report by the JRC analysed data and statistics on income inequality, on the impact that family background and geographical location have on opportunities in education, health and the labour market, and on people’s perceptions and attitudes.

PS How can Greeks feel ‘life is fair’ when many of them keep worrying about the next bill and rent, the supermarket expenditure, the visit to doctor, the clothes for the children. they keep worrying for the last 8 years of this cruel economic crisis.