Quality of Life Comparison

In 2005, the Economist developed a Quality of Life Index and then plotted the world’s countries on the index. The determinants of quality of life identified by the publication were:

1. Material wellbeing
2. Health
3. Political stability and security
4. Family life
5. Community life
6. Climate and geography
7. Job security
8. Political freedom
9. Gender equality

Based on the Economist’s index, here are the top ten countries.

Ireland
Switzerland
Norway
Luxembourg
Sweden
Australia
Iceland
Italy
Denmark
Spain

The US was 13th. Canada was 14th.

For sure United States ranks up there with the best of countries. It’s lower ranking on the Economist’s QOL Index is likely due to the US’s decreasing performance in the area of health. There are two points to make here. First, the US could perform better; it is not the best in everything. And second, the countries it is being compared to are what many in the US would consider socialistic in nature or at least social democracies like Canada is. For example, I know 9 of the 10 have some form of universal health care, which Americans seem to have a bias against without really understanding how it works.


It seems clear that our focus on economic indicators does not translate as well into quality of life as in other countries. I think that should give Americans some pause, don’t you?

Note: Infant mortality rate is based on 1 per 1,000.
In terms of the Economist’s QOL indicators, of all the countries studied, the US ranked 2, Norway 3, Ireland 4, Canada 5, and Sweden 19th.
*Source: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/lab_une_rat-labor-unemployment-rate