TERRITORIAL DIMENSION OF RURAL POPULATION WELLBEING: CASES OF LITHUANIA AND POLAND
TERRITORIAL DIMENSION OF RURAL POPULATION WELLBEING: CASES OF LITHUANIA AND POLAND

Summary/Abstract: The article focuses on the issue of ruralpopulation wellbeing (WB) in Lithuania and Poland usingdata from different Rounds of European Social Survey(ESS). WB research at the local territorial level, includingrural areas in the both countries, has not sufficiently beenanalyzed. Literature shows that WB research mayinfluence the shaping of the future of rural communitiesbecause it concerns local people, their choices, and overallWB. Accordingly, the issue of the WB of the ruralpopulation becomes central to the viability and successfuldevelopment of rural areas from the scientific, practical,and political approaches. The research goal is to identifythe specifics of the wellbeing of rural residents inLithuania and Poland and determine their differencesfrom the territorial perspective. The following researchmethods were used: literature analysis and synthesis,comparative analysis, and statistical analysis methods. Thedifferences in the analysis of the selected socio-economicfactors (gender, age and income) showed what has agreater impact on the WB of the rural population in bothcountries. The WB in rural areas of Lithuania was lowerthan in Poland, although it was increasing in the bothcountries over time. The article initially focuses on thetheoretical approach towards the WB and its research onrural areas, and then proceeds to the results of the ruralpopulation research by comparing the two countries.

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