European inequalities: social inclusion and income distribution in the European Union

Abstract

This book summarizes four years of research on social inclusion and income distribution across the European Union carried out in the framework of the European Observatory on the Social Situation and Demography, which has been established by the Directorate–General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Oppor tunities of the European Commission. It gives an overview of the comparative informationthat is available for the EU Member States on income distribution, poverty and its causes, access to benefits and social services and material deprivation. It also offers a insight into the potential of European surveys and notably the EUStatistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC), the main survey used for the analysis presented in this publication.