* More than half of all urbanites could imagine moving to the countryside - in contrast, the majority of rural residents want to stay where they live.
* This is a main finding of the
* For about one third the pandemic provokes a new perception of country life.
* Advantages of country life predominate for most of urbanites (41%).
* For 72% of urbanites a good internet connection is a must have and by far the number one precondition for a life at the countryside.
56% of the surveyed urbanites could imagine moving to the countryside in the next one or two years (16% "definitely" and 40% "maybe"). There is hardly any difference between the European countries - apart from
Asked about advantages and disadvantages of the country life, 69% respectively 68% of the urbanites consider the closeness to nature and its benefits for a healthy lifestyle as the biggest virtues. Only 35% name cheaper rents as a benefit of country life. The advantages of country life predominate for 41% of urbanites.
A good internet connection more important than a good health infrastructure
The number one precondition for a life at the countryside is by far a good internet connection: 72% of urbanites say it's a must-have; for 21% it´s a nice to have. This finding is consistent for all European countries. However, there are differences in detail - for instance in
In fact, reliable internet connection was deemed more important than good health infrastructure, which 56% agreed this is essential, or good public transport which 43% agreed was a 'must-have'. Only 36% consider good educational institutions as an essential pre-requisite. In
How the EU and governments can realize the potential of rural communities and reinforce rural digitization along the Digital Decade targets is also being analyzed in a new report produced by Deloitte and commissioned by the
"In light of the experiences of the pandemic, closing the gap between urban and rural life seems has become even more important in the
Methodology
An online survey conducted by
The Institute is Vodafone's think-tank. We explore the potential and responsible use of digital technologies for innovation, growth and sustainable social impact. Through research and events, we provide thought leadership and offer a platform for dialogue between business, academia and politics.
* The respondents were divided into inhabitants of the countryside (500.000 inhabitants).
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