Estonian Human Development Report

Figure 3.4.1. Types of quality of life (based on standardized
averages of quality of life components)
Figure 3.4.2. Socio-demographic profile of the
types of quality of life
Occupation
Ethnicity
Age
Perceived
social
position
Perceived
social
involvement
Satisfaction with
one’s economic
situation
Non-working
pensioner
Student
Manual worker
Service provider,
sales employee,
office employee
Manager,
specialist
Russianspeaking
population
Estonianspeaking
population
60–75
40–59
25–39
15–24
education
Secondary
education
EducationHigher
Basic education
High quality of life
The dissatisfied
15.1 7.1 42.7 35.1
51.9 15.0 25.0 8.1
25.6 23.1 33.0 18.2
37.0 16.3 36.1 10.6
55.1 20.9 17.8 6.2
22.8 23.3 28.8 25.1
43.3 13.8 31.2 11.7
21.9 9.4 40.4 28.3
33.8 17.5 30.3 18.4
44.4 19.6 25.6 10.5
45.6 20.2 27.0 7.3
36.5 17.0 30.4 16.2
34.1 17.2 31.8 16.9
31.7 13.9 35.2 19.2
0 20 40 60 80 100
High quality of life
The dissatisfied
Economic means
Satisfaction with
relations with friends
Source: Integration of Estonian Society: Monitoring 2008.
The satisfied
Low quality of life
Source: Integration of Estonian Society: Monitoring 2008.
1
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
-2
The satisfied
Satisfaction with
one’s dwelling
Satisfaction
with personal
security
Satisfaction
with family life
Low quality of life
ists (55%), and is more widespread among people with a
higher level of education than those with a lower level of
education (Figure 3.4.2.).
Estonian residents with a contradictory level of quality
of life or “the dissatisfied” represent an inconsistent type of
quality of life (17% of the population). On the one hand,
the people whose quality of life corresponds with this type
have a social status that is approximately equal to the members
of the first group (50% enjoy a higher than average
social position). Their economic indicators are also similar
(84% are able to cope or are well off). On the other hand,
they are very dissatisfied with certain aspects of their lives
(60% are not satisfied with their dwelling, 50% are dissatisfied
with their family life and 45% with their security),
thus resembling the group of people with the lowest quality
of life. Almost a fifth of them feel alienated from society.
Although the individuals belonging to this group have
a slightly higher than average rate of involvement in various
citizens’ associations, their trust in social institutions
is somewhat lower than average, and one tenth are prepared
to leave Estonia permanently and 27% temporarily.
“The dissatisfied” group is also heterogeneous in its
socio-demographic structure – the people in this group
are represented more or less equally in almost all social
groups. However, half of the people belonging to this
group are younger than 40, and the attitudes associated
with this type of quality of life are more characteristic of
non-Estonians than Estonians.
“The satisfied” (30%) differ from the first type with
high quality of life mainly due to their lower level of material
resources and economic situation (more than 60% of
the people in this group manage to cope at their current
level of income). The perceived social position of people
belonging to this group is much lower (only a sixth perceive
their social position as higher than average), while
the rate of perceived alienation is 13%. At the same time,
the members of the group report consistently high satisfaction
with their lives, lagging only a couple of percentage
points behind the satisfaction rate of people with a
high quality of life. Although this group is characterized
by lower than average social involvement and a more negative
attitude towards Estonia’s current and future socioeconomic
situation, they do not express much interest in
leaving Estonia.
More than 60% of the people in this group are older
than 40 (over 40% of them are retired) and Estonians and
non-Estonians are represented on a relatively equal basis.
Estonian residents with a low quality of life. The fourth
type of quality of life is clearly representative of low quality
of life and comprises 16% of the population. Nearly 90% of
the people in this group are not able to cope at their current
level of income, four fifths of the group feel that they are
alienated from society and more than half of them place
themselves on the three lowest levels of the social hierarchy.
Also, their general level of satisfaction is significantly
lower than average, but still comparable to the satisfaction
rate of the “dissatisfied” group. The predominant attitudes
towards developments in Estonia are pessimistic and there
is widespread distrust of institutions. Approximately 15%
of the people belonging to this group are prepared to leave
Estonia permanently if they have the chance.
This type of quality of life is mainly characteristic of
the older population: 34% of the people in this group are
older than 60 (35% of all retired people, most of whom are
women, with the group containing a higher percentage of
non-Estonians than Estonians).
The younger age group comprises the largest percentage
of people with a high quality of life while among older
people, 28% represent the low quality of life type. The difference
in the quality of life of young people aged 15–24
and the oldest age group (60–74) is primarily a result of the
better material situation, greater social involvement and
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