Czech life satisfaction reaches record high in new STEM poll

Prague, Feb 25 (CTK) – A total of 85 percent of Czechs are satisfied with their life, which has been the highest satisfaction level since 1994 when this type of poll was conducted for the first time, according to a STEM poll from January released today.

Only 15 percent are dissatisfied with their lives, the poll shows.

Optimism also prevails in the assessment of last year as far as Czechs’ personal success is concerned, since 73 percent consider 2019 successful in this respect and 27 percent assess it negatively.

Less than a half of Czechs assess 2019 positively in terms of the whole society. Forty-nine percent of Czechs are convinced that last year brought success to the whole society and 51 percent share the opposite view.

Supporters of the senior government ANO, the junior government Social Democrats (CSSD) and the opposition Mayors and Independents (STAN) assess last year as successful most often.

Its assessments by supporters of the far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), the opposition Pirates, the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) and the Civic Democrats (ODS) are more contradictory.

“Negative assessments of the society development strongly prevail among the adherents of the TOP 09, Tricolour and the Communists (KSCM),” STEM said.

The pollsters also asked whether social changes in 2019 had brought more justice. Almost three-quarters of respondents answered “no” and the rest said “yes.”

Czechs’ personal satisfaction has been gradually rising since 2015 and now is the highest since 1994, the pollsters said.

The assessment of the situation in society has long been slightly different. Between January 2013 and 2016, the satisfaction rose from 15 to 50 percent and since 2016, it has not much changed.

STEM has carried out polls on people’s satisfaction with life and their assessment of the previous year since 1994.

This year’s poll was conducted on a sample of 1,062 respondents between January 24 and February 6.