Fear of the rising cost of living affects outlook for the future
At the very top of Europeans' personal list of worries is "the rising cost of living" (51%). The survey found that these fears are most pronounced in Poland (62%) and France (61%). By contrast, they are the weakest in Germany, the largest economic power in Europe (44%). In Italy, fear of job loss (46%) assumes the top place among their worries.
When looking at the age distribution, we see that younger Europeans are fairly anxious about their career opportunities. Almost one third of Europeans up to the age of 35 worry about labour market uncertainties. However, these fears are somewhat lower for older citizens.
"Environmental protection is important for Europeans, but they are also concerned about the rising cost of living. By no means do all Europeans' concerns fall within the Commission's jurisdiction, which makes it all the more important for Brussels to explain how Europe works and provides added value," said Isabell Hoffmann.