Czech Republic

Did You Know?

Population
10.3
mil.
Visitors per year
6.6
mil.
Renewable energy
6.38
%

How’s Life?

The Czech Republic performs favourably in several measures of well-being, and ranks close to the average in a large number of topics in the Better Life Index.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the Czech Republic, the average person earns 16 614 USD a year, less than the OECD average of 22 387 USD a year. But there is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest – the top 20% of the population earn four times as much as the bottom 20%.

In terms of employment, some 65% of people aged 15 to 64 in the Czech Republic have a paid job, slightly below the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 74% of men are in paid work, compared with 56% of women. People in the Czech Republic work 1 947 hours a year, more than the OECD average of 1 749 hours. Some 9% of employees work very long hours, in line with the OECD average, with 13% of men working very long hours compared with just 4% for women.

Having a good education is an important requisite for finding a job. In the Czech Republic, 91% of adults aged 25-64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, well above the OECD average of 74% and among the highest rates in the OECD. This is truer of men than women, as 94% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 88% of women. This difference is higher than the OECD average and suggests women’s participation in higher education could be strengthened. In terms of education quality, the average student scored 490 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is lower than the OECD average of 497. On average in the Czech Republic, girls outperformed boys by 16 points, a far wider gender gap than the OECD average of 9 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the Czech Republic is almost 78 years, two years lower than the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 81 years, compared with 74 for men. The level of atmospheric PM10 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs –is 18 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 22 micrograms per cubic meter. The Czech Republic also does well in terms of water quality, as 87% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in the Czech Republic, where 91% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, in line with the OECD average. Voter turnout, a measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process, was 64% during recent elections; this figure is lower than the OECD average of 73%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is 70% and for the bottom 20% it is 57%, considerably wider than the OECD average gap of 7%.

In general, Czechs are less satisfied with their lives than the OECD average, with 75% of people saying they have more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is lower than the OECD average of 80%.

Topics

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Czech Republic in Detail

Housing

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Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people’s lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent (or loan repayments for those buying their own home), gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the Czech Republic, households on average spend 26% of their net disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, higher than the OECD average of 22%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. In the Czech Republic, 85.2% of people say they are satisfied with their current housing situation, slightly lower than the OECD average of 87%. This reflects the Czech Republic’s mixed performance in objective housing indicators.

 

The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and the development of children. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the Czech Republic, the average home contains 1.4 rooms per person, less than the OECD average of 1.6 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, an estimated 99.3% of people in the Czech Republic live in dwellings with private access to indoor flushing toilets, higher than the OECD average of 97.8%.

Indicators

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Income

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Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, healthcare and housing.

Household net-adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after tax. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In the Czech Republic, the average household net-adjusted disposable income is 16 614 USD a year, lower than the OECD average of 22 387USD.

Household financial wealth is the total value of a household’s financial worth. In the Czech Republic, the average household wealth is estimated at 13 681 USD, lower than the OECD average of 36 238 USD. While the ideal measure of household wealth should include real assets (e.g. land and dwellings), such information is currently available for only a small number of OECD countries.

Despite a general increase in living standards across OECD countries over the past fifteen years, not all people have benefited from this to the same extent. In the Czech Republic, the income of the top 20% of the population is 29 716 USD a year, whereas the bottom 20% live on 8 343 USD a year.

Indicators

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Jobs

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Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one’s own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In the Czech Republic, 65% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is slightly lower than the OECD employment average 66%. Employment rates are generally higher for the better-off in society than the worst-off; in the Czech Republic, 83% of the top 20% of the population has a paid job, compared with 24% for the bottom 20%. This 59% difference is much higher than the OECD average 35% and suggests the job market in the Czech Republic is highly restrictive.

Women are still less likely than men to participate in the labour market. In the Czech Republic, 56% of women have jobs. This is less than the OECD average of 59% and much less than the 74% employment rate of men in the Czech Republic. This 18% gender difference is higher than the OECD average of 13% and suggests employment opportunities for women could be improved in the Czech Republic.

Young Czechs aged 15-24 also face difficulties, with an unemployment rate of 18.3% compared with the OECD average of 16.7%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In the Czech Republic, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 3.2%, higher than the OECD average of 3.0%. There is little difference on average between men and women in the OECD area when it comes to long-term unemployment. In the Czech Republic, however, the difference is relatively high with an unemployment rate of 2.8% for men and 3.7% for women.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. In the Czech Republic, people earn 20 424 US dollars per year on average, lower than the OECD average 34 033 US dollars. Not everyone earns that amount however. Whereas the top 20% of the population earn 36 523 US dollars per year, the bottom 20% live on 9 336 per year.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security. Employees working on temporary contracts are more vulnerable than workers with an open-ended contract. In the Czech Republic, close to 6% of total employees have a contract of 6 months or less, lower than the OECD-30 average of 10%. This figure suggests Czech Republic has been successful in stabilising working contracts and encouraging open-ended contracts.

Indicators

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Community

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Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being. Helping others can also make you happier. In the Czech Republic, 38 % reported having helped a stranger in the last month, lower than the OECD average of 47% and suggesting an increased risk of social isolation.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In the Czech Republic, 91% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, in line with the OECD average. There is a slight difference between men and women, as 90% of men believe they have this kind of social support, compared with 93% of women. While gender has little impact on social network support, there is a clear relationship between the availability of social support on the one hand, and people’s education and income, on the other . In the Czech Republic, around 85% of the bottom 20% report having someone to count on for help in times of need, compared to over 93% for the top 20%. 

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations. In the Czech Republic, 10% of people reported ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ spending time with friends, colleagues or others in social settings; this figure is one of the highest in the OECD where the average is close to 7%.

Indicators

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Education

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Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country’s social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Most concretely, having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Across OECD countries, men with university-level degrees are 18% more likely to find jobs, and women are 32% more likely. Lifetime earnings also increase with each level of education.

Following a decline in manual labour over previous decades, employers now favour a more educated labour force. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market.

In the Czech Republic, 91% of adults aged 25-64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, much higher than the OECD average of 74%. This is truer of men than women, as 94% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 88% of women. This 6% difference is higher than the OECD average of 2% and suggests women’s participation in higher education could be strengthened. Among younger people – a better indicator of the Czech Republic’s future – 94% of 25-34 year-olds have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree, also higher than the OECD average of 81% .

Czechs can expect to go through 18 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, more than the OECD average of 17 years of education. This high level of education expectancy echoes the Czech Republic’s good performance in the educational attainment of its 25-34 year-old population.

But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2009, PISA focused on examining students’ reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

The average student in the Czech Republic scored 490 in reading literacy, maths and sciences close to the OECD average of 497. On average, girls outperformed boys by 16 points, more than the average OECD gap of 9 points.

The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students . In the Czech Republic, the average difference in results, between the top 20% and bottom 20%, is of 96 points, slightly lower than the OECD average of 99 points. This suggests the school system in the Czech Republic provides relatively equal access to high-quality education.

Indicators

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Environment

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Key Findings

The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Having access to green spaces for example, is essential for quality of life. An unspoiled environment is a source of satisfaction, improves mental well-being, allows people to recover from the stress of everyday life and to perform physical activity. In the Czech Republic, 9% of people feel they lack access to green spaces, less than the European average of 12 %.

Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of peoples’ lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050.

Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM10 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In the Czech Republic, PM10 levels are 18.5 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 22 micrograms per cubic meter.

Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In the Czech Republic, 87% of people say they are satisfied with water quality. This score is slightly higher than the OECD average 85% and suggests the Czech Republic has been successful in providing good quality water to its inhabitants.

Indicators

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Civic Engagement

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Key Findings

A cohesive society is one where citizens have a high degree of confidence in their governmental institutions and public administration. In the Czech Republic, 44% of people say they trust their political institutions, lower than the OECD average of 56%. High voter turnout is another measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data is available, voter turnout in the Czech Republic was 64% of those registered. This figure is lower than the OECD average of 73%.

Even if the right to vote is universal in all OECD countries, not everyone exercises this right. While on average there are few differences between men and women concerning participation in elections, in the Czech Republic men outvote women by nearly 6%. This difference suggests there is a gap in how men and women perceive the functioning of democratic institutions in the Czech Republic. Income can also have a strong influence on voter turnout. In the Czech Republic, voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is close to 70%, whereas the participation rate of the bottom 20% is 57%. This 13% difference is larger than the OECD average difference of 7% and suggests that broader social inclusion could be achieved.

Ensuring that government decision making is not compromised by conflicts of interest is key to maintaining trust in government. Transparency is therefore essential to hold government to account and to maintain confidence in public institutions.

Freedom of information laws (FOI) allow the possibility for individuals to access undisclosed information. For such policies to be successful, the public should have a clear understanding of their rights under the law, should be able to file requests with ease and should be protected against any possible retaliation. People in the Czech Republic can file a request for information either in writing or online, but not yet by telephone or in person. In addition, there are no provisions for anonymity or protection from retaliation.

Indicators

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Health

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Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. In 2010, life expectancy at birth in the Czech Republic stood at 78 years, two years below the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 81 years, compared with 75 for men, in line with the OECD gender gap of six years, with a life expectancy of 83 years for women and 77 years for men.

Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher healthcare spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors). Total health spending accounted for 8.2% of GDP in the Czech Republic in 2009, lower than the average of 9.7% in OECD countries. The Czech Republic also ranks below the OECD average in terms of total health spending per person, with spending of 1 781 USD in 2008, compared with an OECD average of 3 060 USD. Health spending per person in the Czech Republic grew, in real terms, by an average of 5.4% per year between 2000 and 2008.

Throughout the OECD, tobacco consumption and excessive weight gain remain two important risk factors for many chronic diseases. While the percentage of adults who smoke every day has come down in the Czech Republic from 26.1% in 1993 to 24.3% in 2008, it is slightly above the OECD average of 23.3%. In many OECD countries, large proportions of the population are overweight or obese. On average, 17% of the population is obese in the OECD. In the Czech Republic, the obesity rate among adults was 17.4% in 2008 . Obesity’s growing prevalence foreshadows increases in the occurrence of health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and asthma), and higher health care costs in the future.

When asked, “How is your health in general?”, 68% of people in the Czech Republic reported to be in good health, close to the OECD average of 70%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, the answers have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use . Gender, age and social status may affect answer to this question. On average in OECD countries, men are more likely to report good health than women, with an average of 72% for men and 67% for women. In the Czech Republic, the average is 73% for men and 63% for women. Not surprisingly, older people report poorer health, as do those who are unemployed, or who have less education or income. In 2010, about 82% of the top 20% of the adult population in Czech Republic rated their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, compared to about 54% for the bottom 20%.

Indicators

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Life Satisfaction

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Key Findings

Happiness can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to compare the quality of life across countries.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. It captures a reflective assessment of which life circumstances and conditions are important for subjective well-being. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Czechs gave it a 6.3 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

There is little difference in life satisfaction levels between men and women across OECD countries. This is true in the Czech Republic, where men gave their life a 6.3 grade and women 6.4. Social status does, however, strongly influence subjective well-being. Whereas the bottom 20% of the Czech population across OECD countries, have a life satisfaction level of 5.3, this score reaches 7.2 for the top 20% .

Happiness, or subjective well-being, is also defined as the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and/or the absence of negative experiences and feelings. 75% of people in the Czech Republic reported having more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is lower than the OECD average of 80%.

 

Indicators

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Safety

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Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals, and largely reflects the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime. Across the OECD, assault rates have generally declined in the past five years. In the Czech Republic, 3% of people reported falling victim to assault over the previous 12 months, lower than the OECD average of 4.0%. There is a difference of over 2% between men and women in assault rates.

 The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, the Czech Republic’s homicide rate is 0.9, lower than the OECD average of 2.1. In the Czech Republic, the homicide rate for men is 1.1 compared with 0.7 for women.

Fear of crime is another important indicator as it can constrain behaviour, restrict freedom and threaten the foundation of communities. Despite a general reduction in assault rates in the past five years, in many OECD countries feelings of security have declined. In the Czech Republic, 57% of people feel safe walking alone at night, lower than the OECD average of 67%. While men are at a greater risk of being victims of assaults and violent crimes, women report lower feelings of security than men . This has been explained by a greater fear of sexual attacks, the feeling they must also protect their children and their concern that they may be seen as partially responsible .

Social status also has an impact on victimisation rates and perception of security. People with higher income and higher education usually report higher feelings of security and face lower risks of crime. This can be explained by the fact they can afford better security and are less exposed to criminal activity such as youth gangs or drug smuggling. In the Czech Republic, the assault rate of the bottom 20% of the population is 3.8% higher than that for the top 20%.

Indicators

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Work-Life Balance

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Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. Some couples would like to have (more) children, but do not see how they could afford to stop working. Other parents are happy with the number of children in their family, but would like to work more. This is a challenge to governments because if parents cannot achieve their desired work/life balance, not only is their welfare lowered but so is development in the country.

An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardize safety and increase stress. People in the Czech Republic work 1 947 hours a year, higher than the OECD average of 1 749 hours and one of the highest rates in the OECD. The share of employees working more than 50 hours per week is not very large across OECD countries. In the Czech Republic, 9% of employees work very long hours, in line with the OECD average. Overall, men spend more hours in paid work: in the Czech Republic 13% of men work very long hours, compared with 4% for women.

The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others or leisure. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people’s overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. People in the Czech Republic devote an estimated 65% of their day, or 14.3 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socializing with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – lower than the OECD average of 14.8 hours.

Indicators

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