Quality of Life in Transition Countries: Central East Europe with Special Reference to Croatia

With the historical change of the socio-economic system in ex-communist European countries quality of life of the population changed dramaticaly, improving in some components and within certain social strata and deteriorationg in others. These changes are analysed within the framework of authentic development and quality of life components: economic, social, political, environmental, cultural and human. The major aspect of the changes is the enlargement of human choices in all of the components, and to different extents in different countries in transition. The future of the whole transition process lies in its sustainablity and ability to draw on its past experience as well as on the experience of the Western world.