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Where-to-be-born Index

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Where-to-be-born index 2013 world map

The where-to-be-born index, formerly known as the quality-of-life index (QLI), was last published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (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. [1]

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

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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.[2] Switzerland, Australia, and Norway topped the list with scores just above 8. [3]

Back in 2006, life satisfaction 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.[4]

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 at birth
  • The quality of family life based primarily on divorce rates
  • The state of political freedoms
  • Job security (measured by the unemployment rate)
  • Climate (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 (measured by ratings for corruption)
  • Gender equality (measured by the share of women holding seats in national Houses of Assembly)
  • Divorce rates

See also

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Measurement and metrics

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Indices

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Notes

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  1. ^ "The "Where-to-be-Born" Index: The Highest And Lowest Scoring Countries". WorldAtlas. 2017-04-25. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  2. ^ "The Lottery of Life: Where to be Born in 2013". The Economist. 21 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Where-to-be-born Index by Country/ Where to be born Index 2024". World Population Review.
  4. ^ "The Lottery of Life Methodology: How we Calculated Life Satisfaction". The Economist. 21 November 2012.