The idea was that the transition from a centrally-controlled economy to one based on market forces would improve the quality of life for people living in Eastern Europe. Well, it did. But it took 25 years. For the first time, a report shows that the “happiness gap” between people from post-Soviet countries and those from peer countries has closed. The report is based on 51,000 interviews across 34 countries conducted in 2015 and 2016, and it shows that people in Eastern Europe no longer report lower levels of life satisfaction than those in countries such as Germany, Italy, and Greece.
After 25 years, Eastern Europe has closed the “happiness gap” with the West
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