This paper evaluates the importance of middle class vulnerability to poverty for subjective well-being (happiness) in European countries. Using the special module of the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions micro-data on well-being and national aggregates from the World...

Part I: Concepts -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The Frame of Reference in Absolute Poverty Measurement -- 3. Practical Aspects of EU-Wide Measurement -- Part II: Implementation -- 4. Reference Budget-Based Approach to Absolute Poverty measurement -- 5. Survey-Based Approach to Absolute Poverty...