Mapping societal resilience across eight European nations in the context of multifaceted associations with global indices: An ecological study

Abstract

Facing global challenges like economic crises, political unrest, and public health issues, societies must be resilient. Societal Resilience is the collective capacity to endure and bounce back from such adversities. This study delves into its complexity and its ties to economic, social, healthcare, and political domains, offering insights for decision-makers and academics. A Societal Resilience questionnaire was distributed across eight nations (Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine) in late 2022 and early 2023, with the results compared to international data. Statistical methods revealed significant links between Societal Resilience and four global indicators: urban population and immigrant stock share (both positively correlated), and population growth (negative), as well as perceiving climate change as a major threat (negative). Excluding Ukraine, twelve significant connections emerged, including gender equality and corruption perception. The research underscores the importance of multifaceted, informed approaches to bolster Societal Resilience, providing a policy and practice framework to navigate a complex global landscape. Further studies should expand the country sample to examine more relationships, like those between financial factors and Societal Resilience.