On Monday 9 September, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a report entitled “Fairness, Inequality and Intergenerational Mobility - Summary Report“, the result of its work analysing European citizens’ perceptions of inequality and social justice, based on the 2022 edition of the Eurobarometer survey.
81% of EU citizens believe that income inequalities are too great. Nevertheless, this percentage is down slightly compared to 2017.
However, perceptions of fairness in everyday life have fallen significantly, particularly among young people and students, with only 38% responding positively, compared with 51% in 2017.
The document notes that these perceptions of injustice can fuel mistrust of institutions and increase social discontent.
In addition, social policies and tax redistribution appear key to improving social cohesion and reducing disparities. More than half the public support an increase in social spending, particularly for healthcare and pensions.
Finally, the report demonstrates the central role of education and living conditions during childhood in ‘intergenerational mobility’ (social progression or regression in relation to the previous generation), and calls for continued efforts to guarantee equitable access to education and essential services from the earliest age.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/dda (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)