This book explores the dimensions and characteristics of social vulnerability in Western Europe. As the literature on 'new social risks' grows, there is an increasing need for analysis which shows the actual diffusion and intensity of such risks. This volume examines income level, housing conditions, employment, the provision of care for children and dependent persons, family organisation and difficulties arising in the transition to adulthood. It concerns individuals who are permanently exposed to instability and weak integration into society. Providing a comparative analysis, the book identifies the different profiles of vulnerability that exist in a number of different 'macro-regions' which make up Western Europe.