Do Europeans really feel European? Do they trust each other and are they solidary? What do they think of immigration and refugee influx? Do they want a greener and more sustainable Europe, and at what cost? Are democracy and human rights ingrained in Europe or are they under pressure?

A new edition (2022) of the ‘Atlas of European Values’ answers these and other questions related to pressing topics such as migration, democracy, sustainability, welfare, identity, and solidarity in an attractive, visual way. In the The Atlas of European Values: Change and Continuity in Turbulent Times (authors: Loek Halman, Tim Reeskens, Inge Sieben and Marga van Zundert), the reader will find maps, charts and graphs based on data from the European Values Study, combined with data from other scientific sources. Texts on current social theories and interviews with European scholars and thinkers clarify the findings. The foreword to the Atlas was written by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

This third edition of the Atlas of European Values has been published in the new European Values Series, open access at Open Press Tilburg University. This means that the Atlas is freely accessible to everyone and easily downloadable (in pdf-format).

The first copy of the Atlas of European Values was presented on Europe Day, 9 May 2022, in the House of the Dutch Provinces in Brussels by the authors and TiU rector magnificus Wim van de Donk to Robert de Groot, permanent representative of the Netherlands to the European Union. De Groot said that this Atlas is more important than ever: how are we going to unite on a continent that is so diverse and how can we ensure that we come out stronger from the war that is currently raging in Ukraine? According to him, the Atlas can help answer these pressing questions. The presentation of the Atlas can be watched here.

Interactive map tool Atlas of European Values

In addition to the Atlas as hardcopy and e-book (pdf), an interactive Atlas of European Values has been developed, in which the visitor can make his/her own maps based on the data of the European Values Study. The interactive map tool offers unique possibilities to compare orientations, views and opinions of Europeans, not only between countries, but also to visualise developments in those orientations through time (1981-1990-1999-2008-2017) and between different groups in society, for instance based on gender, age, education, income, urbanisation, religion and migrant status. The web tool is available in 8 languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch, Turkish and Slovakian, an Italian version is under construction) and offers, in addition to the map tool, teaching materials and a digital classroom.

Previous editions of the Atlas of European Values

2011 Edition

Loek Halman, Inge Sieben and Marga van Zundert (2011). Atlas of European Values: Trends and Traditions at the turn of the Century. Leiden, the Netherlands: Brill.

Who are the Europeans? How do they think about life after death, work, sex, euthanasia, immigration or freedom? What traditions do they cherish, and which modern values gain ground? This second Atlas of European Values summarizes the beliefs of Europeans in almost two hundred informative graphs, charts, and maps.

This Atlas is the result of the European Values Study, a research project that has measured values and beliefs throughout Europe since the 1980s. Today, the study spans a full generation, revealing value changes on topics such as homosexuality and working moms, but also demonstrating firm European traditions in democracy and rejection of bribes. The unique Atlas of European Values covers all European nations from Iceland to Turkey, and from Portugal to Russia. It graphically illustrates the rich diversity of values and beliefs of the more than 800 million Europeans living inside and outside the European Union today.

On November 25, 2011, Mr. Hein van Oorschot, president of Tilburg University, presented the first copy of the Atlas of European Values: Trends and Traditions at the turn of the Century to Mr. Luuk van Middelaar, member of the Cabinet of Mr. Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council. For more information and how to order the 2011 Atlas, click here.

2005 Edition

In 2005, the first edition of the Atlas of European Values was published. It unlocked the results of the European Values Study project for the general public by presenting the values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, and opinions of Europeans at the turn of the millennium through visuals such as graphs, charts, and maps. This publication makes the data accessible to politicians, policymakers, journalists and the European public, revealing unity and diversity of value patterns in Europe at a glance.

On June 23, 2005, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende received the first copy of the Atlas of European Values. The Atlas of European Values was selected as an outstanding academic title 2006 by Choice Magazine. For more information and how to order the first edition of the Atlas of European Values, click here.