Abstract: The European Union (EU) was established with great purpose as a project of peace and to strengthen democratisation and the economy. The institution was founded in 1993 by twelve Member States and has grown steadily since its inception. During this period, the health of the EU population has also improved significantly: life expectancy has increased, living conditions have improved, and progress has been made in health behaviour and provision of health care. Nevertheless, the growing burden associated with noncommunicable diseases, demographic change and health-related inequalities poses challenges to public health and national healthcare systems across Europe. In order to respond to these challenges adequately, reliable representative data are required on the living conditions, health status, health behaviour and the use of health services within each of the countries making up the EU.

The European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) is an important data pool for indicators of health status and health behaviour. This issue of the Journal of Health Monitoring is based on data from the second wave of EHIS. The data was used to evaluate various aspects of health and to spotlight where Germany stands in terms of population health compared with the rest of Europe.