Perceived Age, Gender, and Racial/Ethnic Discrimination in Europe: Results from the European Social Survey

The present study evaluated the relationship between individual characteristics (ascribed, achieved, and psychosocial) and country characteristics (e.g., discrimination at the country level) and perceived discrimination. Analysis was based on the fourth round of the European Social Survey, which encompasses 54,988 respondents from 28 countries. Hierarchical linear modeling was conducted. In most countries, there was a general trend towards a higher prevalence rate of perceived age discrimination (mean prevalence rate across countries=34.5%; SE=.002), followed by gender (mean prevalence rate across countries=24.9%; SE=.002), and ethnic discrimination (mean prevalence rate across countries=17.3%; SE=.002). Variations in perceived discrimination were largely attributed to individual differences. The findings are discussed in light of a distinction between perceived and actual discrimination.