EBRD to publish its latest Life in Transition Survey on 13 December

EBRD to publish its latest Life in Transition Survey on 13 December

Report is a unique barometer of people’s hopes, fears and aspirations in over 30 countries

LONDON, 06-Dec-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — On 13 December, the EBRD will publish its latest Life in Transition Survey (LiTS), a unique series of reports that lay bare the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes of thousands of people in countries across Eurasia.

It is the largest survey of its kind and has polled 51,000 households in 34 countries, mainly from the former communist east bloc.

It is the third in a series that the EBRD launched a decade ago. It includes Turkey and, for the first time, Cyprus and Greece, as well as two western European comparator countries, Germany and Italy. As with the previous two, this survey was conducted jointly with the World Bank.

The 2016 survey addresses four key themes, the first of which is Life satisfaction in the transition region, revealing whether satisfaction levels have increased compared to previous surveys and in relation to more prosperous western neighbours.

A chapter on Governance in the region shows whether people feel that corruption levels are increasing or declining, again in comparison with previous periods and with countries in Western Europe.

In Gender in the transition region, the survey assesses relative levels of education between men and women and how these are reflected in opportunities on the labour markets and in business world.

A section on the impact of the crisis on households in Greece reveals just how hard the people of the country were affected by the Greek economic crisis. It shows the various ways which they coped with the impact of the crisis and provides an insight into their expectations for the future.

The reports assess the hopes, fears and aspirations of ordinary people and are a key tool that helps make sure that the work of the EBRD is aligned with the requirements of the countries where it invests and the people who live there.

In his foreword to the latest survey, EBRD Chief Economist Sergei Guriev explains that the economic hardship that transition has entailed has led to some disillusionment and sometimes a slowdown or reversal of reforms, a trend that has underscored the importance of assessing reform not just in terms of economic growth or levels of private ownership.

“Reforms are, after all, intended to enhance the well-being of the general public. If the public does not see the benefits of the reforms, they will ultimately not be successful,” he writes.

The full report will be available online from 0800 GMT on 13 December.

For previous reports please see:

LiTS I

LiTS II

The EBRD’s 2016 Transition Report also draws on some of the data from the new LiTS report and was published in November.

For more information and to arrange broadcast and other media interviews with EBRD economists about new survey please contact press@ebrd.com

SOURCE: EBRD