Territorial dimension of rural population wellbeing: Cases of Lithuania and Poland

Abstract

. The article focuses on the issue of rural population wellbeing (WB) in Lithuania and Poland using data from different Rounds of European Social Survey (ESS). WB research at the local territorial level, including rural areas in the both countries, has not sufficiently been analyzed. Literature shows that WB research may influence the shaping of the future of rural communities because it concerns local people, their choices, and overall WB. Accordingly, the issue of the WB of the rural population becomes central to the viability and successful development of rural areas from the scientific, practical, and political approaches. The research goal is to identify the specifics of the wellbeing of rural residents in Lithuania and Poland and determine their differences from the territorial perspective. The following research methods were used: literature analysis and synthesis, comparative analysis, and statistical analysis methods. The differences in the analysis of the selected socio-economic factors (gender, age and income) showed what has a greater impact on the WB of the rural population in both countries. The WB in rural areas of Lithuania was lower than in Poland, although it was increasing in the both countries over time. The article initially focuses on the theoretical approach towards the WB and its research on rural areas, and then proceeds to the results of the rural population research by comparing the two countries. JEL