Analysis of the development of living standards in the Czech Republic after accession to the EU (period 2004-2022)

This diploma thesis analyses the development of living standards in the Czech Republic from the country's accession to the European Union to the present. With regard to perceived concerns and perceived deterioration of living conditions of citizens, the thesis focuses on the identification of factors influencing living standards in the country. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with concept of living standards and its measurement, distinguishes between an objective and subjective approach to the evaluation of living standards, deals with an influence of economic factors on living standards of the population and discusses some limitations of the measurement of living standards using gross domestic product. It also deals with the European Union, identifies the elements of the Czech Republic's accession to the EU and discusses how the EU supports the Member States in improving living standards. The practical part analyses living standards using selected indicators in the Czech Republic in 2004-2022 and compares its results with the average of the EU countries. The research shows a gradual improvement of living standards of the inhabitants of the Czech Republic and its approximation to the EU average. The analysis also examines the impact of EU membership on living conditions of the population and discusses the positive and negative impacts of this membership. The work aims to objectively evaluate the impact of the EU on changes in living standards and also examines whether the improvement in this respect can be a consequence of the internal development and quality of the Czech Republic itself. This work contributes to the understanding of the development of living standards in the Czech Republic and proposes directions for further research in this area.