Which European country currently has the highest level of broad prosperity (2024)?
The magazine where science meets policy and business
Today’s world is facing serious challenges — from economic uncertainty and social inequality to climate change and political instability. To deal with these complex issues and build a future that is both fair and sustainable, we need a broader view of prosperity: inclusive prosperity.
For many years, EUR has been known for its strong focus on value creation and economic development. Founded in 1913 by forward-thinking business leaders, the university was born out of the desire to support a changing and increasingly international economy. From the start, EUR combined academic knowledge with practical insight, aimed at helping society grow and prosper.
However, what society values has changed over time. Today, prosperity is no longer just about income or growth. It is also about people’s well-being, equal opportunities, access to education and healthcare, meaningful work, and living in a healthy environment. These broader concerns are at the heart of what we now call inclusive prosperity.
In the EUR Strategy 2025–2030, we commit to reducing inequality and building a society where everyone can contribute to and benefit from progress. This ambition continues our tradition, while answering the needs of today. Through this magazine, we share perspectives from across our academic community and beyond. It is a platform for dialogue, connection, and action—bringing together insights from science, society, policy, and practice.
We hope this booklet offers inspiration and practical tools for creating positive change. Creating societal impact — together.
Professor Frank van Oort views broad prosperity as a new mindset—one that complements existing economic models. For him, it’s not just about measuring prosperity in terms of income or productivity, but also about recognising the value of social cohesion, environmental sustainability, and personal wellbeing.
As strong advocates for inclusive prosperity, Professor Martin de Jong and researcher Kees Krul see eye to eye on many topics. Their backgrounds also share striking similarities: neither grew up in an academic environment, and both have personally experienced the gap between academic theory and the practical realities of everyday life. That experience turned out to be a key influence in shaping their views on broad prosperity.
In this magazine, we offer perspectives from science, government and business. Together we are rethinking progress in a world of limits, design systems that work for people and make broad prosperity hit the ground.
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Jacqueline Prins
Every Choice has a Consqeuence
Martijn Burger
Paul Schenderling
Larissa van der Lugt
Jane Murray Cramm
Seline Westerhof
Ewout Karel
Meindert Stolk
René van Noort
Resilient Delta - Convergence
Getting into Inclusive Prosperity
Broad prosperity means working towards a society where not only economic growth matters, but also health, education, well-being, sustainability, and justice. At Erasmus University Rotterdam, we bring together knowledge, people, and ideas to advance broad prosperity - in the city, the region, and across Europe.