ATLAS OF WELLBEING
European Spatial Perspectives
Lucian Roșu, Ema Corodescu-Roșca, Sébastien Bourdin (editors)
The European Atlas of Wellbeing offers a comprehensive spatial analysis of
sustainable wellbeing across the European Union, developed within the
framework of the SAGES project. The Atlas presents the Smiley Index — a
composite, multidimensional indicator integrating both objective structural
conditions and citizens' subjective experience of quality of life — computed at
national (NUTS 0) and regional (NUTS 2) scales for all 27 EU member states over
the 2013–2024 period. By combining cartographic representation, temporal
analysis, and bivariate spatial mapping, the Atlas addresses three core questions:
(1) How is wellbeing distributed across European territories, and what territorial
inequalities persist beyond what GDP-based indicators reveal? (2) What spatial
patterns and dynamics characterise wellbeing trends at national and regional
scales? (3) How can evidence-based spatial analysis inform place-sensitive policy
interventions aimed at reducing territorial disparities and fostering long-term
cohesion across the European Union?
CONTENT
1. Introduction: The Case for Spatial Wellbeing Analysis in Europe,
Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu, Sébastien Bourdin, Gabriela Carmen Pascariu
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1.1. The SAGES Project: Concept and Rationale
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1.2. Purpose and Objectives of the Atlas
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1.3. Structure of the Atlas
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1.4. Final remarks
2. Methodology: Data Architecture, Indicator Framework, and the Smiley Index
Carmen Pintilescu, Ramona Țigănașu, Alexandra Grosu, Cristina Sîrbu
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2.1. Overview
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2.2. Conceptual Architecture
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2.3. Data Sources and Temporal Coverage
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2.4. Data Processing
3. Smiley Index — A Multi-Scale Perspective
Corneliu Iațu, Lucian Roșu, Alexandra Cehan, Ema Corodescu-Roșca, Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu, Carmen Pintilescu, Ramona Țigănașu,
Alexandra Grosu
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3.1. Smiley Index and its dimensions at national level
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3.2. Smiley Index at NUTS2 level
4. At the roots of well-being. Key indicators at regional level
Ema Corodescu-Roșca, Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu, Lucian Roșu, Daniela-Andreia Damian
5. Sub-national Spatial Patterns of Well-being
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5.1. Local Human Development Index in Romania – hot spots and urban-rural divide, Lucian Roșu, Ema Corodescu-Roșca
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5.2. A deep dive into regional variation in subjective well-being, Alexandra Gheorghiu, Daniela Victoria Zaharia, Oara Prundeanu,
Mioara Cristea
Conclusion
Sébastien Bourdin, Bogdan-Constantin Ibănescu
