As Europeans become increasingly worried about rising prices, many believe that their standard of living will worsen in the future.
Almost one-third of citizens (29 percent) believe that their personal standard of living will decline over the next five years, while only 18 percent expect it to improve, according to a Eurobarometer poll released today.
The survey, which gathered responses from over 26,000 people across the EU, shows marked divisions in pessimism between generations: economic anxiety hits 34 percent among those aged 55 and over, compared with just 17 percent of younger respondents who share the same view.
Expectations also vary significantly from one country to another. Western member states tend to record a higher percentage of negative responses, led by France, where a bloc-high 44 percent of respondents expect their situation to worsen.
Portugal, Germany and Austria show similar results, while outlooks are more positive in Nordic countries and Central and Eastern Europe. In Poland, only 9 percent expect their situation to deteriorate, while Hungary records the lowest level of economic pessimism in the entire bloc, at just 8 percent.
