Living Conditions

The mission of the department is to produce scientifically high-level and socially relevant research on ‘Public Policies, Welfare and Socio-economic Inequalities’.

The department’s objective is to contribute via analysis of policy-relevant questions to a better understanding of the drivers of inequality, poverty and social cohesion, both in the short and long term, and of the role, efficiency and sustainability of social policies and the welfare state.

The department is inter and multidisciplinary in nature and characterised by recognised international, scientific and academic expertise in measurement issues (e.g. inequality, equality of opportunity, social monitoring) and ex-ante (microsimulation) and ex-post policy evaluation.

More specifically, the department studies the multiple dimensions of individuals’ and families’ lives which are at the heart of both the causes and consequences of inequality, from early childhood to old age, through education, fertility and family formation, from employment to retirement. Qualitative, typically survey-based research, examines household income, wealth, inequality, poverty, and social inclusion from a variety of perspectives. The impact evaluation of socio-fiscal, family, educational, health, pension and wider social policy on living conditions is an integral part of the department research agenda.

The department contributes also to the multi and inter-disciplinary research programmes of the Institute:

The LC contribution to the “Health & health systems” interdisciplinary research programme is currently centred on the impact of ageing on the health status of the population and its subsequent economic effect, as well as on the analysis of health inequalities.

The LC contribution to the “Digital transformation”  interdisciplinary research programme covers questions related to the future of social protection (e.g. basic income) or introduction of new methodologies in education (e.g. digital learning platform).

The LC contribution to the “Migration and Crossing borders ” interdisciplinary research programme covers topics such as equality of opportunity and social mobility. The consequences of an increasing number of migrants and cross-border workers on the welfare state, social cohesion, preferences for redistribution and a multilingual educational system are investigated.