Regional differences in welfare and well-being in the European Union

Abstract

: In the study, it is analysed whether the groups of countries formed in the 1990s and 2000s still fit well to the model represented at that time, and whether the countries of the Mediterranean, Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe still separate from each other based on the welfare and well-being indicators. Factor analysis and a new indicator, the welfare factor together with well-being indicators were used in cluster analyses. The three years data and the clusters based on them were analysed. It was pointed out that before the crisis the states representing the Northern model were indeed separate, and liberal and conservative states appeared in a group but at the same time still separately, and the Mediterranean countries were mixed with the post-socialist countries. After the crisis, the northern states merged with the liberal and conservative welfare states, and the Mediterranean countries formed a mixed group with the post-so-cialist states. Greece was separated from each group of countries. 2018 brought even greater changes. Not only Greece but also Slovenia and Czech Republic isolated, and a more composite category was formed from the other Mediterranean countries and post-socialist countries. Taking income and poverty indicators out, it was examined whether the states ranked in each model separated from each other according to them. The result was, however, again a diverse group. Therefore, based on the indicators, it was not possible to clearly prove the Esping-Andersen, Sapir and Baltic theory in today’s economic environment (Esping-Andersen, 1991; Sapir, 2006; Baltic, 2011).