Methodology
Methodological notes about Atlias indicators, rankings, trends and country comparisons.
What Atlias measures
Atlias organizes public indicators related to cost of living, housing, income, poverty, employment and quality of life in Europe.
The website combines country-level and regional data where available, with a focus on making public statistical information easier to compare and explore.
Countries, regions and coverage
Some indicators are available for countries only. Others include regional observations, usually at NUTS2 level where the source provides enough data.
Coverage varies by indicator, year and country. When regional data is not available, Atlias may still show a national value if an official country-level observation exists.
Latest available year
Most pages show the latest available year for the selected indicator and geography. This means different indicators may use different latest years depending on source availability.
When a page includes trends, Atlias uses the available historical observations for that indicator and geography rather than assuming that every year is present.
Rankings and interpretation
Rankings are calculated within a defined scope, such as European countries, European regions, or regions within a selected country.
The interpretation of a high or low value depends on the indicator. For indicators where higher values represent greater pressure or worse outcomes, higher-ranked places are more affected. For indicators where higher values are better, such as life expectancy or GDP per capita, the interpretation is reversed.
Benchmarks and comparisons
European benchmarks are used to provide context, usually as a country-level European average when appropriate for the indicator.
Gap values compare a country or region against a relevant benchmark, such as the European average or the national value for a country.
Limitations
Atlias is designed for exploration and editorial context. It should not be treated as legal, financial, policy or professional advice.
Public datasets may be revised, delayed or incomplete for some territories. Atlias aims to make these limitations visible where they affect interpretation.