Risultati

Sweden is a Scandinavian country of just over 10 million inhabitants, where forests cover nearly 70% of the land and lakes and islands are everywhere. Living alone is remarkably common here: single-person households without children are the dominant living arrangement. Perhaps not unrelated, Swedes are among the Europeans most likely to say that friends are very important in their lives (63%), second only to Northern Ireland. The country is highly diverse, with around one in five residents born abroad. While most people formally belong to the Church of Sweden, only about 10% consider religion very important in their lives. Sweden has a strong welfare state and democracy, and the Swedes are among the happiest people in the world. Sweden also consistently ranks among the countries with the highest levels of interpersonal trust worldwide.

Spain is a Mediterranean country of around 49 million inhabitants, whose patterns of social cohesion were already studied by the PATCHWORK team in the earlier BRIDGES project, and therefore serve as an important reference case here. Spain has a Mediterranean welfare regime, characterised by comparatively low expenditure on social protection, near‑universal healthcare coverage, and a traditionally strong role of family and Catholicism in everyday life.

Historically a country of emigration, with Argentina hosting the largest Spanish population outside Spain, Spain has rapidly become an immigration country since the 1990s. Today, around 14.5% of the population is foreign‑born, mainly originating from Morocco, Colombia, and Romania. Relevant for social cohesion, Spain is multilingual and has experienced strong regional autonomy and independence movements in several parts of the country. Family arrangements are also changing: around half of all newborns are born to non‑married parents. And in a more everyday sense, Spaniards—along with Greeks—are known for having the latest dinner times in Europe.

The Netherlands is Europe’s most densely populated country, with around 17 million inhabitants, and its population is, on average, the tallest in the world. Despite very low contemporary levels of religiosity, Dutch society was historically organised into religious and ideological pillars, a system that structured social life, institutions, and networks well into the twentieth century, leaving long‑lasting societal footprints. The Netherlands is also a highly diverse country: around 16% of the population is foreign‑born, alongside well‑established second‑ and third‑generation communities originating from Morocco, Turkey, Surinam, and, more recently, Poland. Politically, coalition governments are the norm, reflecting a long tradition of negotiation and compromise.

Compared to many other European societies, the Netherlands is relatively less family‑centred, with only about 77% of the population stating that family is very important. Like Sweden, it is typically classified as having a social‑democratic welfare state, characterised by extensive social protection and broad coverage.

Poland, located along the Baltic Sea, is home to nearly 38 million people and enjoys very low unemployment. It remains a relatively homogeneous society, with a small immigrant population, yet has shown remarkable solidarity by hosting over one million Ukrainian refugees in recent years. Polish society is strongly family‑centered, and around 90% of the population believes in God. While many Poles, like Europeans elsewhere, feel that family ties have weakened over the past two decades, family remains a key source of identity and support. However, levels of interpersonal trust are considerably lower than in other European countries, even within families. Poland also stands out for its pronounced political polarization. At the same time, a large majority of Poles feel close or very close to their country, and 62% are proud of it. This combination of strong family bonds and national identification makes Poland a compelling case for studying cohesion under conditions of rapid social and political change.

Hungary is one of the oldest continuously existing states in Europe, with around 9.7 million inhabitants. It is among the fastest‑ageing societies in Central Europe, with a declining younger population and large regional differences between Budapest and rural areas. A majority of the population identifies as Christian, predominantly Catholic. Social life is strongly organised around family and long‑standing personal ties, especially outside cities: notably, 92% of Hungarians report complete trust in their family. However, interpersonal trust beyond close circles remains relatively low, as observed in other post‑communist societies. Hungary is ethnically homogeneous, with low migration, yet approximately half of the population would prefer not to live next to migrants. Hungarians show a relatively strong identification with their country. Politically, the country has experienced increasing centralisation of power and media ownership over the past decade. In terms of social policy, Hungary is typically described as having a post‑communist welfare regime, characterised by work‑related social rights and relatively modest levels of social spending.