Estonia’s standard of living among the lowest in EU
06.03.2009, 12:40
Although in the past couple of years
Estonia and Latvia have been like European tigers, by showing admirable
development and economic growth, it doesn’t reflect in people’s welfare,
Postimees writes.
According to the statistics, Estonians and Latvians standard of living is the
lowest together with Slovakia. And it’ll likely get worse.
Human development report, that’ll be published next week, says that the
countries should increase working opportunities, access to the health care and
education, security in the society, offer social protection, decrease the level
of crimes etc.
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Currently Estonia is going in the opposite direction – unemployment is
rising, options for retraining are bad, level of crimes is increasing, social
securities are decreasing, shops, post offices and bus traffic are closed in
rural areas.
Avo Trumm, the professor of sociology at the Tartu University said that
Estonia’s main indicators are low life expectancy, high level of crimes and low
social costs.
“At the level of an individual there are dissatisfaction with personal
security, health and work,” Trumm said.
Health is important at the individual level, Kaljo Laas, population scientist
said. The other important thing is education – but poor children in rural areas
can’t get an education that’ll match their abilities.
“When the money grew in social funds and the state budget was in surplus,
then no additional investments in the social sphere were needed, considering
current situation. No one thought of tougher and less bright future,” Trumm
said.
He added that low security and solidarity are indicators of a thin country,
which is boosted by Estonians’ individualism and material and social inequality.