KVALITETA ŽIVLJENJA GRAĐANA GRADA VARAŽDINA: USPOREDBA S EUROPSKOM UNIJOM
THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF VARAŽDIN: A COMPARISON WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

Summary/Abstract: There are a number of factors that contribute to the quality of life of an individual. The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life of citizens in the city of Varaždin and to assess their general life satisfaction as well as individual domains of life satisfaction and happiness. Another aim was to compare this with the evaluated quality of life of citizens in Croatia, neighbouring countries and generally in the European Union. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2011 on a representative, stratified sample of the adult population in the city of Varaždin with a random selection of units within each stratum. The sample included a total of 500 respondents. Subjective assessments of quality of life by citizens of Varaždin were tested by scales of self-assessment of quality of life, life satisfaction and happiness, and individual domains of life satisfaction. Results of the study showed that people in the city of Varaždin evaluate that they are happy and satisfied with their life in general. When assessing satisfaction of certain life segments and living conditions in the city of Varaždin, citizens are most satisfied with their family relationships, belonging to the environment in which they live, the quality of housing, followed by spirituality, a sense of personal safety and security in the city. At the same time, these are the areas that citizens assessed more positively than they assess satisfaction with their lives as a whole. Citizens’ positive assessment of life satisfaction is based on evaluations of personal satisfaction, interpersonal relationships and a sense of security as well as the social domains of life which would be the main reasons why residents move away from Varaždin. For life satisfaction of citizens in the city of Varaždin, standard of living and the pleasure of belonging to the environment in which they live were the most important. Life satisfaction, happiness and individual domains of life satisfaction of citizens of Varaždin were closer to the average evaluations in the EU in 2011, than the average evaluations of the Croatian population. In relation to satisfaction with health, citizens of Varazdin, Croatia and the EU are alike, while the standard of living assessment among citizens of Varaždin is closer to the evaluations of the EU population than the overall population of Croatia. Evaluations of life satisfaction and happiness of citizens in Varaždin were closest to evaluations of population in Austria in comparison to other EU countries in the region.

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