Quality of life: What matters to you?

Summary

The OECD's Better Life Index reveals varying priorities across regions, emphasizing that life values extend beyond economic metrics. Latin Americans prioritize education, North Americans seek life satisfaction and work-life balance, while Europeans focus on health, education, and the environment. In the Asia-Pacific, safety is paramount, including in Japan. Australia highlights work-life balance concerns. Gender and age influence preferences, with men valuing income and women favoring work-life balance and community. The index encourages global participation, allowing over 110,000 users to voice their priorities for better policy-making.

Takeaways

• 📊 The OECD's Better Life Index highlights the importance of factors beyond economic statistics in measuring well-being.
• 🌍 People worldwide have different priorities based on their region, such as education in Latin America, life satisfaction and work-life balance in North America, and health and environment in Europe.
• 🏫 In Latin America, education is considered the most important factor for the future of children, indicating a strong emphasis on opportunities for the next generation.
• 🌐 In North America, the focus is on personal life satisfaction and achieving a good work-life balance, showing a preference for quality of life over other factors.
• 🏞️ Europeans prioritize health, education, and environmental concerns, reflecting a holistic approach to well-being.
• 🔒 In the Asia-Pacific region, safety is a significant concern, including in countries like Japan, where there is a distinction between being safe and feeling safe.
• 🇦🇺 Australians are particularly concerned about work-life balance, possibly due to long working hours, despite the country's natural beauty.
• 🚹🚺 Gender and age influence preferences; men tend to value income more, while women prioritize work-life balance and community.
• 💰 Young people prioritize money and happiness, suggesting a focus on immediate satisfaction and financial stability.
• 🌳 As people age, concerns shift towards the environment, civic engagement, and health, indicating a broader and more long-term perspective on well-being.
• 📢 The Better Life Index allows individuals to voice their priorities to governments, with over 110,000 users from 180 countries participating, emphasizing the importance of listening to citizens for policy-making.

Q & A

What does the OECD's Better Life Index measure?

The Better Life Index measures various life factors that contribute to well-being, allowing people to express what is most important to their lives beyond economic statistics.

What are the top priorities for people in North America according to the Better Life Index?

In North America, life satisfaction and work-life balance are considered top priorities among the 11 life factors.

What are the main concerns for people in Europe as per the Better Life Index?

Health, education, and the environment are the main concerns for people in Europe.

How do people in the Asia-Pacific region rate safety on the Better Life Index?

People in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, rate safety as a high priority.

What is the primary concern for people in Australia regarding their life as indicated by the Better Life Index?

In Australia, people worry most about their work-life balance.

How does gender affect the preferences of what is important in life according to the Better Life Index?

Men tend to assign more importance to income, while women give more value to work-life balance and community.

What are the priorities of young people in terms of life factors as per the Better Life Index?

For young people, money and happiness are paramount.

How do age-related priorities change according to the Better Life Index?

As people age, the environment, civic engagement, and health become more important.

How many users from how many countries and territories have shared their views on the Better Life Index?

More than 110,000 users from 180 countries and territories have shared their views on what makes for a better life.

What is the purpose of the Better Life Index in terms of policy-making?

The Better Life Index serves as a way for people to tell their government what they want, which can help in making better policies for better lives.

How does the Better Life Index address the gap between being safe and feeling safe?

The index highlights the importance of safety as a high priority and can be used to identify areas where people feel unsafe, thus helping to close the gap between actual safety and perceived safety.