The where-to-be-born index, formerly known as the quality-of-life index (QLI), was last published by the

Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group, providing forecasting and advisory services through research and analysis, such as monthly country reports, five-year country economic forecasts ...

(EIU) in 2013. Its purpose was to assess which country offered the most favorable conditions for a healthy, secure, and prosperous life in the years following its release. It was based on a method that combines the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys with the objective determinants of quality of life across countries as well as forecasts for economic growth.

Methodology

In 2013, an index was created using data from 80 countries and territories. The survey considered ten quality-of-life factors and future GDP per capita forecasts to determine each nation’s score. Switzerland, Australia, and Norway topped the list with scores just above 8. Back in 2006,

life satisfaction Life satisfaction is an evaluation of a person's quality of life. It is assessed in terms of mood, relationship satisfaction, achieved goals, self-concepts, and the self-perceived ability to cope with life. Life satisfaction involves a favorabl ...

scores (rated on a scale of 1 to 10) for 130 countries (from the Gallup Poll) were analyzed through multivariate regression. Researchers identified 11 statistically significant indicators that explained about 85% of the variation in life satisfaction scores across countries. These predicted scores represent a country’s quality of life index, with coefficients automatically weighing the importance of different factors. The estimated equation from 2006 allows for comparisons over time and across nations. The independent variables in the estimating equation for 2006 include: * Material well-being as measured by GDP per capita (in USD, at 2006 constant PPPS) *

Life expectancy Human life expectancy is a statistical measure of the estimate of the average remaining years of life at a given age. The most commonly used measure is ''life expectancy at birth'' (LEB, or in demographic notation ''e''0, where '' ...

at birth * The quality of family life based primarily on

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

rates * The state of political freedoms * Job security (measured by the

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...

) *

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteoro ...

(measured by two variables: the average deviation of minimum and maximum monthly temperatures from 14 degrees Celsius; and the number of months in the year with less than 30mm rainfall) * Personal physical security ratings (based primarily on recorded homicide rates and ratings for risk from crime and terrorism) * Quality of community life (based on membership in social organizations) *

Governance Governance is the overall complex system or framework of Process, processes, functions, structures, Social norm, rules, Law, laws and Norms (sociology), norms born out of the Interpersonal relationship, relationships, Social interaction, intera ...

(measured by ratings for

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

) *

Gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality, gender egalitarianism, or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, an ...

(measured by the share of women holding seats in national Houses of Assembly) * Divorce rates

Notes

{{Quality of life country lists Economist Intelligence Unit International quality of life rankings Social science indices

Methodology

See also

Measurement and metrics

Indices

Notes