| Abstract [eng] |
One of the six priorities of the European Commission is an economy that works for people. This means that the economies of the European Union countries can thrive when they meet the needs of their citizens and businesses. In order to evaluate whether a country's economy is oriented towards the well-being of its people, this project assesses not only quantitative indicators of the country, but also their impact on qualitative indicators. Thus, the concept of competitiveness of countries is expanded to include aspects of happiness. After reviewing the literature, 9 groups consisting of 58 factors were identified for the evaluation of competitiveness. Three methods are used for imputing missing values, their results are compared and the MICE imputation method with the least impact on numerical characteristics is selected. After conducting a correlation analysis, 45 factors were selected for the study. By applying the k-means and Ward methods to perform cluster analysis, three groups of countries were identified, which are respectively listed from the most competitive to the least competitive: North – Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe. The assessment of countries' competitiveness by index showed that the most competitive EU countries from 2011 to 2022 are Sweden, Denmark, and Luxembourg, while the least competitive are Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria. After conducting an analysis of the competitiveness and quality of life of the countries, it was noted that each group of countries happiness index was influenced by different groups of factors, and only in very exceptional cases the assumption that the happiness of the country depends on its competitiveness is not satisfied. |
