OECD stands for Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. It was established in 1948 to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The organization compiles an annual “Better Life Index”, where several factors are weighed to determine which countries have the overall highest quality of life.
These factors include; income, housing, jobs, community, education, environment, civic engagement, health, life satisfaction, safety, and work-life balance. You might assume that the countries with the highest income would enjoy the highest quality of life. If that were the case, the United States would come up on top year after year. As it turns out, money does not equal happiness… Quality of life considers aspects such as education, health, work-life balance, civic engagement and overall life satisfaction. In fact, the country that ranks number one in OECD’s 2012 Better Life Index has an annual income per capita of only $26,000. Lets take a look at what 8 countries ranked highest in the new index (factors are rated on a 10-point scale):
8. Netherlands
Income: 5.9
Life satisfaction: 9
Work-life balance: 8.7
7. Switzerland
Income: 7.9
Life satisfaction: 9
Work-life balance: 7.6
6. Canada
Income: 6.1
Life satisfaction: 8.7
Work-life balance: 6.5
5. Denmark
Income: 4
Life satisfaction: 10
Work-life balance: 9.7
4. Sweden
Income: 4.9
Life satisfaction: 8.3
Work-life balance: 8.2
3. United States
Income: 10
Life satisfaction: 7.6
Work-life balance: 5.7
2. Norway
Income: 3.9
Life satisfaction: 9.2
Work-life balance: 8.8
1. Australia
Income: 4.5
Life satisfaction: 8.6
Work-life balance: 5.6
About Lauga Oskarsdottir
The best countries to live in article is really great and very informative. Especially with the current global situation wherein I guess many people in the world are in search of better life, home, education, safety and health , work opportunity, good income possibly in one country. Also your feature about Lauga is just fantastic for a woman to be a fine athlete in a man’s sport of soccer. Her achievement as an MVP for a men;s college team is amazing indeed. I hope to exchange notes with her if possible and hope to be part of her circle of friends from other countries. Would be delighted indeed.
Thank you and more power.
Excuse me but Sweden has higher income than Norway? That’s actually a big joke. Every year thousands of Sweeds leave for Norway (including many of my friends) not only to get higher wages but to get a job period. Sweden’s working enviorment is extremly bad comapred to Norway’s. Sweden does not follow their own working environmental laws, this means high discrimination which is actually called generation discrimination, this means that if you are not a beautiful blond or have higher education you can forget a real life. The underemployment figures in Sweden are extremely high but they have become experts at hiding it threw different work programs which is 99.9% of the time a dead-end and never leads to a real job. Many children in Sweden live under the minimum limit and the welfare system has become a big joke in the past few years. Hers an example: in Norway when you enter a post office, taxi or maybe a supermarket there’s always people with different ethnic backgrounds, and you know they have permanent employment. i’v always loved that it about Norway makes me feel safe and proud and you get the immediate feeling that Norway is a fair, tolerant and open society. In Sweden you’ll only see old Swedish ladies working on the counter and you never see foreigners with real jobs. they only get to work in pizzeria’s or hair-saloons which are bought by their own money. Many people that i know who do eventually get that shitty job eventually don’t even get their salaries and they can totally forget about permanent employment, and without that your credit is shit. . I lived in Norway for 15 years an in Sweden 10. Right now i am studying in Sweden and after graduation i don’t dare to stay here because i know they let me work for years before i get a secure job situation, they’ll milk me dry first.. In Norway i’ll get almost the double in wages plus slide right in to a secure employment. In Norway you pay high taxes that’s right 36% and in Sweden 33% but in Norway every summer you get back almost half of what you gave in taxes, How about that? It’s amazing, In Sweden you don’t get anything back on you taxes. Plus in Sweden you have to work double so hard for lower amount of money, in Norway it’s more laid back and you feel you have rights as a worker. Lets just put it this way i have no poor friends in Norway everybody is working and those who don’t are by own choice,. In Sweden almost no one i know actually has a real job. In Sweden everybody lives of each other. Many of my friends in Sweden live and work now in Norway, their no longer depressed and actually has a great life. My obvious question is: How can you even start to compare these two countries? Yes, Sweden is a great country but comparing Sweden to Norway is completely misleading based on one simple fact that, a human life is worth more in Norway they have more social protection and rights. Right Now i would compare Sweden to east European states Such as Poland, Czech ect. If Sweden isn’t already in par with those countries it will be shortly because Sweden is living of what ever they had going on in the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s. there is no respect for people who are struggling in this country. if you struggle go to Norway they actually do a fair effort in getting you back in to society whilst Sweden somehow is profiting of the fact that a good portion of the population is being left outside the system?
So i don’t know where you get you statistics from? I guess that’s why it’s called statistics, i’ts my fault reading stupid meaningless lists who has no root in reality.
Income in the OECD Better Life Index is measured by household net-adjusted disposable – the amount of money that a household earns, or gains, each year after taxes. Norway scored 3.9/10 vs Sweden’s 4.9/10, however they score much higher than Sweden in Jobs. Norway is a welfare state, and you pay higher taxes in order to reap the social benefits of living there. I also know many Swedes that have moved to Norway to find work, and this is an increasing development.
Fascinating that United States manages to take the #3 spot despite a somewhat odd disparity regarding Life Satisfaction and Work-Life Balance…And they say money won’t buy you happiness? I for one say the former items are more imporant than making heaping sums of money, because if you are miserable making money, dread your job and work too much, what good is it? Just my philosophy.
Gidday,
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Great to know that AUSTRALIA is still in the world.
What ever you do, do not visit Australia. Most last about 72 hours, the poms even less.
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