Life Satisfaction
Background
Measuring feelings can be very subjective, but is nonetheless a useful complement to more objective data when comparing quality of life across countries. Subjective data can provide a personal evaluation of an individual's health, education, income, personal fulfilment and social conditions. Surveys, in particular, are used to measure life satisfaction and happiness.
Life satisfaction
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, people on average across the OECD gave it a 6.7. Life satisfaction is not evenly shared across the OECD however. Some countries – Colombia, Greece, Korea, Portugal and Turkey – have a relatively low level of overall life satisfaction, with average scores below 6. At the other end of the scale, scores reach 7.5 or above in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Life Satisfaction in Detail by Country
lva Life Satisfaction - Latvia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries. Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Latvians on average gave it a 6.2 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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zaf Life Satisfaction - South Africa expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, South Africans on average gave it a 4.9 grade, much lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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aus Life Satisfaction – Australia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Australians on average gave it a 7.1 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Measuring child well-being
The Australian government prioritises child health and well-being. The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) measures children's development or well-being as they enter school. The five areas examined are physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills; and communication skills and general knowledge. Teachers gather the results of the census and aggregate it to the group level. This lets people see how local children compare relative to other children in their community and across the country. After a successful pilot in 60 communities in 2009, the programme was expanded to the national level.
Data collection can also be used to help adapt to changing student needs. Tasmania's Launching into Learning initiative uses the results from the Early Development Instrument to help teachers design their activities around trouble learning areas. These teachers are trained in advance to better understand the data and develop appropriate learning activities. Evaluations show that children participating regularly in Launching into Learning perform better than their peers in mathematics.
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aut Life Satisfaction – Austria expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Austrians on average gave it a 7.2 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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bel Life Satisfaction – Belgium expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Belgians on average gave it a 6.8 grade, slightly higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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bra Life Satisfaction – Brazil expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Brazilians on average gave it a 6.1 grade, below the OECD average of 6.7
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving living conditions for the poorest
The fight against extreme poverty has long been a priority for the Brazilian government. The Bolsa Família cash-transfer programme has proven very successful in this fight. It links four key elements: school attendance, maternal nutrition, child labour and cooking gas subsidies. By addressing issues linked to health, income, education and social conditions, this programme directly contributes to improving life satisfaction for the poorest in Brazil. Reception of the monthly child benefit is conditional on children enrolling in school, health visit requirements and pregnant women undergoing medical check-ups.
Overall, Bolsa Família is generally considered to have successfully reduced poverty and raised poor children’s attendance at school. The programme reached 11 million families, accounting for over a quarter of the population in 2013 alone. Evidence also suggests that Bolsa Família shifts the allocation of expenditure in poor households towards food, educational materials and children's clothing.
By targeting the poor, this programme has managed to relieve poverty at a relatively low fiscal cost, about 0.5% of GDP. It is estimated that the programme helped reduce inequality by 15% to 20%. It has also contributed to between 33% and 50% of Brazil’s drop in extreme poverty.
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can Life Satisfaction – Canada expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Canadians on average gave it a 7 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Evaluating children's well-being for better outcomes
Ontario, Canada developed the Early Development Instrument (EDI) to measure children's development or well-being as they enter school. It also allows for the monitoring of child development from birth through to adolescence by providing a snapshot at the time of school entry.
The results are presented as average scores in five key domains of early childhood development: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills; and communication skills and general knowledge. They also take the percentage of children vulnerable to academic and developmental challenges at school entry on each domain and overall.
In Canada, the EDI has been used for the past decade, collecting data for over 1 million children in 10 provinces and 2 territories. Data shows that 25% of Canadian children were considered vulnerable to academic and developmental challenges at school entry (on each domain and overall) over the past 12 years. The results from the collected data steer policy and programming to focus on areas where children need the most support, helping children achieve the best outcomes possible. EDI results are also being integrated with geographic information system mapping technology, socio-economic data, and linked to health and education datasets at local and provincial levels for further study.
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chl Life Satisfaction – Chile expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Chileans on average gave it a 6.2 grade, below the OECD average of 6.7.
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cze Life Satisfaction – Czechia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Czechs on average gave it a 6.9 grade, above the OECD average of 6.7.
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dnk Life Satisfaction – Denmark expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Danes on average gave it a 7.5 grade, much higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
The Good Life index
The region of Southern Denmark has developed a metric of "Good Life" to monitor well-being in the region and its municipalities. The 40 indicators are organised into 2 categories: community conditions and individuals' perception of their own life.
Once a year, citizens are asked to assess their own level of well-being, both in general and in terms of different well-being dimensions (such as health, relationships, etc.). The remaining surveys are dedicated to different themes regarding the Good Life and regional development. An extensive national health survey, "How are you?" ("Hvordan har du det?"), is also conducted regionally every four years by the health department of the region of Southern Denmark.
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est Life Satisfaction – Estonia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Estonians on average gave it a 6.5 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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fin Life Satisfaction – Finland expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Finns on average gave it a 7.9 grade, much higher than the OECD average of 6.7, the highest grade in the OECD.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving elderly care
The social and health services of Pori, Finland created a Living Lab to find more efficient models for elderly care. The concept of a Living Lab is to combine different stakeholders to test and develop user-driven products. In this case, technological solutions are tested and developed to provide a better quality of life and dignity for elderly people, as well as improve safety, prevent loneliness and help elderly people live at home.
The Living Lab provides an environment where elderly people, relatives and elderly care professionals can participate actively in the development and usability testing of welfare technologies. Testing also takes place in real life contexts (in people's homes) to observe what users actually need.
This model has provided information on the latest technology solutions for public health care to support procurement; improved nursing processes and the technological skills of elderly care personnel; increased co-operation between elderly people, relatives and nursing personnel; and supported home care.
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fra Life Satisfaction – France expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, French people on average gave it a 6.7 grade, in line with the OECD average.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Using Key National Indicators
The Loi Organique Relative aux Lois des Finances (LOLF) requires that the government presents wealth and well-being indicators other than GDP when tabling the annual budget to promote debate on policy impacts. The government is planning to implement a strategic dashboard using a limit set of internationally-comparable Key National Indicators. These indicators will be grouped by three themes: economic development, social progress and sustainable development.
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deu Life Satisfaction – Germany expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Germans on average gave it a 7.3 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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grc Life Satisfaction – Greece expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Greeks on average gave it a 5.8 grade, lower than theOECD average of 6.7.
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hun Life Satisfaction – Hungary expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Hungarians on average gave it a 6 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Prioritising well-being
Hungary has used well-being measures to help identify national priority policy areas by extracting the classification of regions that receive EU Cohesion Policy funding. These regions are classified according to 24 indicators in four well-being dimensions: society and demography; housing and living conditions; local economy and labour market; and infrastructure and environment. Between 2007 and 2013 the Hungarian government evaluated this data to help define programmes that focused on economic development, employment, education, and Roman integration in the 33 most disadvantaged micro-regions of the country.
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isl Life Satisfaction – Iceland expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Icelanders on average gave it a 7.6 grade, much higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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irl Life Satisfaction – Ireland expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Irish people on average gave it a 7 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Involving youth and children
Ireland is the first country in Europe to develop a cross-government National Strategy on Children and Young People's Participation in decision-making. The Strategy gives young people aged up to 24 (though it targets youth under 18) a voice in decision-making.
At the local level, youth participate in child and youth councils. Operating in all 31 localities, young people express their voice by working on topics of importance to their age group and by acting as a consultative forum for adult decision makers in the locality.
Every council has an Annual General Meeting where 80-200 youth come together to express their opinions. Biannually, two hundred youth from the local councils are elected to the National Youth Parliament. Each council also elects a representative to sit on the National Executive, which implements the top recommendations from the previous National Youth Parliament. This provides an opportunity for youth representatives to engage with ministers, policy-makers, parliamentary committees and other decision makers.
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isr Life Satisfaction – Israel expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Israelis on average gave it a 7.2 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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ita Life Satisfaction – Italy expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Italians on average gave it a 6.5 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
Indicators
jpn Life Satisfaction – Japan expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Japanese on average gave it a 6.1 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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kor Life Satisfaction – Korea expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Koreans on average gave it a 5.8 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Improving student well-being
Koreans may be top of the class when it comes to education, but when asked about their level of life satisfaction, Korean students do not rank nearly as high. The Free Semester initiative was introduced in 2013 to boost students’ well-being by letting students take a semester free from exams and other formal assessments and to pursue a mix of academic and extracurricular activities instead. During this semester, collaborative and experimental learning is encouraged, as are sports, arts, internships, music, job shadowing and lectures. Teachers use qualitative and informative methods to gauge progress and provide students with feedback. More than 3 000 schools participated in the Free Semester initiative in 2016.
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lux Life Satisfaction – Luxembourg expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, people in Luxembourg on average gave it a 7.4 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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mex Life Satisfaction – Mexico expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Mexicans on average gave it a 6 grade, below the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Regional well-being outcomes for policy development
The Mexican Institute for Statistics and Geography (INEGI) has developed a comprehensive measure of well-being according to 11 dimensions down to the state levels, including subjective well-being.
The regional well-being measures are increasingly being used as a policy tool. The Regiones Socioeconómicas initiative provides different levels of government with socio-economic data to inform them on outcomes in housing, health, education and employment across various territorial levels. This data helps the government target programmes based on the regional needs of their citizens. The state of Morelos has also included a series of well-being indicators in their State Development Plan for 2013-18.
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nld Life Satisfaction – Netherlands expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Dutch people on average gave it a 7.5 grade, much higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Indicators
nzl Life Satisfaction – New Zealand expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, New Zealanders on average gave it a 7.3 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Measuring national and regional well-being
New Zealand's Social Report (published in 2010 and 2015) provides a comparative assessment of national and regional well-being by analysing health, knowledge and skills, jobs, economic standards of living, civil and political rights, cultural identity, leisure, safety and social connectedness.
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nor Life Satisfaction – Norway expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Norwegians on average gave it a 7.3 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
High levels of life satisfaction based on strong social cohesion
Norway scores highly in international comparisons of material well-being but also in other quality of life dimensions. For example, the average level of life satisfaction in Norway is one of the highest in the OECD.
These high scores may be related to the Norwegian model of a relatively egalitarian society, where social consensus and a high degree of inclusiveness are important. Not only is wage inequality relatively low in Norway, redistribution through the tax and benefit system is also substantial. The generous provision of public services also plays a major role in Norwegians' personal fulfilment and well-being. Recent data shows that Norwegians are pleased with these services. In 2014, 82% reported being highly satisfied with their health care system, about the OECD average of 71%. Norwegians also reported being highly satisfied with the education system, again 82%, compared to 67% on average across the OECD.
Thanks to oil assets, government revenues have exceeded expenditures over the past decade, even during the recent fiscal crisis. Protected from the worst of the crisis by this natural resource and a sound macroeconomic policy framework, Norway continues to enjoy high levels of income and well-being.
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pol Life Satisfaction – Poland expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Poles on average gave it a 6.1 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Harmonising well-being strategies
The Polish Ministry of Regional Development and the United National Development Program have collaborated to develop and Human Development Index (HDI). This index is sometimes known as Local Human Development Index (LHDI) at the sub-national level. The Index evaluates measures in health, education and welfare. Data from Poland's Central Statistical Office and Warsaw School of Economics found high disparities in social development between 2007 and 2010. Analysis showed that towns performed better than rural areas. Following this analysis, Poland declared that their Long-term National Development Strategy: Poland 2030 would use LHDI and GDP as the main indicators of development. Local and regional governments have also used the LHDI as a tool for planning, monitoring and evaluating activities and improve public policies. It has proved useful in creating links between regional/local and national strategy goals.
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prt Life Satisfaction – Portugal expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Portuguese people on average gave it a 5.8 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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rus Life Satisfaction – Russia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Russians on average gave it a 5.5 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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svk Life Satisfaction – Slovak Republic expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Slovaks on average gave it a 6.5 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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svn Life Satisfaction – Slovenia expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Slovenians on average gave it a 6.5 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.
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esp Life Satisfaction – Spain expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Spanish on average gave it a 6.5 grade, below the OECD average of 6.7.
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swe Life Satisfaction – Sweden expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Swedes on average gave it a 7.3 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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che Life Satisfaction – Switzerland expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Swiss people on average gave it a 7.5 grade, much higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
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tur Life Satisfaction – Türkiye expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Turkish people on average gave it a 4.9 grade, much lower than the OECD average of 6.7, and one of the lowest satisfaction grades in the OECD.
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gbr Life Satisfaction – United Kingdom expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, British people on average gave it a 6.8 grade, slightly higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
Better Policies for Better Lives
Considering life satisfaction in policy
The Green Book is the formal guidance from the Treasury of the United Kingdom to other UK government agencies on how to appraise and evaluate policy proposals. Since 2011 it has included a clause on how subjective well-being – particularly life satisfaction – can be used alongside more traditional approaches to evaluate policy proposals.
While the amendment to The Green Book stops short of fully endorsing the use of life satisfaction measures for use in formally evaluating government programmes, the decision to add the clause in itself signals strongly the importance that UK central agencies attach to obtaining improved measures of the value of well-being outcomes.
Targeting services and programmes based on need
Well-being measures are useful tools to identify what kind of support is needed in different vulnerable neighbourhoods. The United Kingdom produces Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) to measure the levels of deprivation in employment; income; health; crime; education; living environment and barriers to services. These indices use 40 indicators at both district ward and smaller scale levels (around 1 500 persons). The results have been useful in guiding the location of social services (e.g. Sure Start Children's Centres) and targeting regeneration programmes (e.g. the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and the Single Regeneration Budget).
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usa Life Satisfaction – United States expand
Key Findings
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.
Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, people in the United States on average gave it a 7 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.7.