This report is divided into two main parts. In the first part the report presents the context into which public opinion about the European Union should be interpreted. It examines life in the European Union as perceived by its citizens both in terms of personal aspects and economic aspects; it looks at expectations for the future and the main concerns of Europeans. The second part of the report presents the trend indicators that measure perceptions and opinions about the European Union and its institutions. It also analyses the perceived role played by the European Union in a range of policy matters and examines which aspects should be emphasised more to strengthen the EU in the future. Finally, this part of the report briefly examines trust in the information media and people’s political preferences. The general analysis and the socio-demographic analysis are based on the EU27 results, that is to say the average of the results for the 27 Member States. This average is weighted to reflect the actual population of each of the Member States.