OECD Better Life IndexThere is more to life than the cold numbers of GDP and economic statistics – This Index allows you to compare well-being across countries, based on 11 topics the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and quality of life. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD_8efddece-1582-11e1-9ec1-995c7a64ea2a_291a269e-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9cTo enable comparison of well-being across countries_291a33c8-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9cHousingOffer an affordable place of shelter to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space_291a33c9-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c1Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people’s lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.Satisfaction_291a33ca-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c1.1The vast majority of OECD households, 87%, are satisfied with their housing. In Germany, Ireland, Spain and Belgium more than 93% of households expressed satisfaction, while the level was below 75% in Korea, Turkey and the Russian Federation. These satisfaction levels are close to the results given by objective indicators of housing conditions.Room & FacilitiesProvide an above-average number of rooms per person and access to basic facilities_291a33cb-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c1.2Rooms per Person, Dwellings with Basic Facilities -- In addition to measuring satisfaction with people’s current homes, it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether dwellings have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children’s development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In the OECD, the average home contains 1.6 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 97.9% of people across the OECD live in dwellings with private access to an indoor flushing toilet.ExpendituresRequire below-average expenditures for housing and related costs_291a35e4-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c1.3Housing expenditure -- Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In the OECD, households on average spend 21% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads. The level of housing costs in household budgets varies from 27% in Greece to less than 16% in Korea. In the Russian Federation, spending on housing accounts for just 11% of the household budget.IncomeProvide above-average income_291a37ce-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c2While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.Disposable IncomeProvide above-average household disposable income_291a38e6-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c2.1Household Net Adjusted Disposable Income -- Household net-adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns, or gains, each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. Household disposable income includes income from economic activity (wages and salaries; profits of self-employed business owners), property income (dividends, interests, and rents), social benefits in cash (retirement pensions, unemployment benefits, family allowances, basic income support, etc.), and social transfers in kind (goods and services, such as health care, education and housing, received either free of charge or at reduced prices). Across the OECD, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is 23 938 USD a year.Financial WealthEnable the accumulation of above-average household financial wealth_291a3b34-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c2.2Household Financial Wealth -- Household financial wealth is the total value of a household’s financial worth, or the sum of their overall financial assets minus liabilities. Financial wealth takes into account: savings, monetary gold, currency and deposits, stocks, securities and loans. These financial assets can provide an important source of revenue on their own; either through their sale or refinancing, via pensions, via interest and dividend payments, or other property income. Ideally, measures of household wealth should include non-financial assets (e.g. land and dwellings), but such information is currently available for only a small number of OECD countries. Such wealth makes up an important part of a household’s economic resources, and can protect from economic hardship and vulnerability. For example, a low-income household having above-average wealth will be better off than a low-income household with no wealth at all. Across the OECD, the average household net financial wealth per capita is estimated at 42 903 USD.JobsProvide jobs_291a3c56-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c3Work has obvious economic benefits, but having a job also helps individuals stay connected with society, build self-esteem and develop skills and competencies. Societies with high levels of employment are also richer, more politically stable and healthier.EmploymentSupport above-average levels of employment_291a3d6e-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c3.1Employment Rate -- Across the OECD, about 65% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. Employment levels are highest in Iceland (80%), Switzerland (79%) and Norway (76%), and lowest in Turkey (49%), Greece (51%) and Spain (56%). Employment rates are generally higher for individuals with a higher level of education. Across the OECD, an estimated 80% of individuals with at least a tertiary education have a paid job, compared with an estimated 47% for those without an upper secondary education. Despite a steady increase in female employment rates over the past 15 years, women are still less likely than men to have a job. In 2012, on average across OECD countries, 57% of women had jobs, compared with 73% of men. The gender difference is particularly high in Turkey and Mexico, and relatively small in Canada, Estonia and the Nordic countries. The increase in employment rates for women may be explained by structural changes in the economy and society but also by policy factors such as the provision of childcare facilities, which have made it easier for mothers with young children to return to work.UnemploymentGenerate a below-average long-term unemployment rate_291a3e9a-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c3.2Long-term Unemployment Rate -- Unemployed persons are defined as those who are currently not working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. Such effects can last a long time, even after a return to work. Across the OECD, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at 2.7%. Creating more and better jobs is a major challenge for governments. About one in three people of working age does not have a job in the OECD area, including many out-of-school youth and disabled people. There is little difference on average between men and women in the OECD area when it comes to long-term unemployment – 2.7% for men and 2.8% for women – but the female unemployment rate is particularly high in Greece, while in Ireland long-term unemployment is much greater among men. Faced with ageing populations and rising social expenditures, facilitating employment for those who can work has become a priority. Recovery from the economic and financial crisis that began in 2008 has been weak or uneven, and some countries have fallen back into recession. The OECD-wide unemployment rate was 7.6 % in early 2014, corresponding to around 46.2 million people out of work – some 11.5 million more than when the crisis began. There are clear signs that job creation will continue to be weak in many OECD countries.EarningsSupport above-average earnings_291a3fbc-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c3.3Average Earnings -- The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Earnings represent the main source of income for most households. Analysing earnings may also suggest how fairly work is remunerated. In the OECD on average, people earn 41 010 US dollars per year, but average earnings differ significantly across OECD countries. In the United States and Luxembourg, average earnings are more than twice as high as in the Eastern European countries. How fairly these earnings are distributed within a country is another question. In recent years, earning disparities have increased in most OECD countries and whereas on average the top 20% of the population earn an estimated50 342 USD per year, the bottom 20% live on an estimated 20 331 USD per year.Job SecurityProvide above-average job security_291a4124-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c3.4Job security -- Another essential factor of employment quality is job security. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. On average in OECD countries, workers face a 5.3% chance of losing their job. In Greece and Spain, the chance is almost or more than 12%, compared with less than 3% in, Japan, Norway and Switzerland. Gender does not generally have a strong influence on job security. CommunityEngage in contact with others and maintain high-quality personal relationships_291a4372-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c4Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being. Studies show that time spent with friends is associated with a higher average level of positive feelings and a lower average level of negative feelings than time spent in other ways. Helping others can also make you happier. People who volunteer tend to be more satisfied with their lives than those who do not. Time spent volunteering also contributes to a healthy civil society. On average, people across selected OECD countries, spend 4 minutes per day in volunteer activities. People in New-Zealand, Ireland and the United States spend more than twice that time volunteering. In several countries, however, people spend hardly any time volunteering. This is the case in Hungary, Korea, Poland, Slovenia, France, Estonia, Spain and Mexico. Would you help a stranger? Around 49% of people across OECD countries say they have helped a stranger in the last month. OECD countries with a large share of respondents reporting to have helped a stranger also tend to have high levels of volunteering. More than 65% of people in Canada, New-Zealand and the United States reported helping a stranger in the last month.Social SupportProvide strong social support networks_291a44a8-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c4.1Social Support Network -- A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. Across the OECD, 89% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need. There is little difference between men and women, as 90% of women believe they have this kind of social support, compared with 89% for men. While gender has little impact on social network support, there is a clear relationship between the availability of social support on the one hand, and people’s education level, on the other. Only 85% of people who have completed only primary education report having someone to count on for help in times of need, compared with over 92% for people who attained tertiary education. A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Social isolation may follow family breakdown, the loss of a job, illness or financial difficulties. Once socially isolated, individuals may face greater difficulties not only reintegrating society as a contributing member, but also fulfilling personal aspirations with respect to work, family and friends.EducationProvide individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and the economy_291a45fc-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c5Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. In addition, education may improve people’s lives in such areas as health, civic participation, political interest and happiness. Studies show that educated individuals live longer, participate more actively in politics and in the community where they live, commit fewer crimes and rely less on social assistance.Educational AttainmentProvide above-average educational attainment_291a4732-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c5.1Educational Attainment -- Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Highly-educated individuals are less affected by unemployment trends, typically because educational attainment makes an individual more attractive in the workforce. Across OECD countries, 83% of people with university-level degrees have a job, compared with 55% of those with only a secondary school diploma. The employment rate is higher for men than women whatever their education level – 88% of men and 79% of women with university education have a job, while the rate is 69% for men and 48% for women with only lower secondary education. Lifetime earnings also increase with each level of education attained. Furthermore, following a decline in manual labour over previous decades, employers now favour a more educated labour force. This shift in demand has made an upper secondary degree, or high-school degree, the minimum credential for finding a job in almost all OECD countries. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. On average, 75% of adults aged 25-64 within the OECD have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree. This is slightly truer of men than of women, as 75% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 74% of women. In 29 OECD countries, and the Russian Federation, 60% or more of the population aged 25 to 64 has completed at least upper secondary education. In some countries, the opposite is true: in Mexico, Portugal, and Turkey, 60% or more of the population aged 25 to 64 have not completed upper secondary education. Among younger people in the OECD – a better indicator of a country’s future – 82% of 25-34 year-olds have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree and women tend to outperform men. Women are now also more likely to complete a tertiary or upper-secondary degree than men in almost all OECD countries, a reversal of the historical pattern. On average across OECD countries, 43% of women aged 25-34 have at least an upper secondary degree compared with 34% of men from the same age group.Years in EducationSupport above-average numbers of years in education_291a487c-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c5.2Years in education -- In a fast-changing knowledge economy, education is about learning skills for life. But how many years of school, college, or training will future generations expect to study? The answer is that on average in the OECD, people can expect to go through 17.7 years of education, judging by the number of people between the ages of 5 and 39 currently in school or college. Results range from 14.1 years of education in Luxembourg, to nearly 20 years in Finland.SkillsProvide high-quality education to all students_291a49da-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c5.3Students’ skills -- But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students near the end of their compulsory education (usually around age 15) have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies, particularly in reading, mathematics and science. In 2012, PISA tested students from 65 countries, including OECD countries, Brazil and the Russian Federation. The students were tested on their reading ability, their skills in maths and level in sciences. Research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school or in post-formal education. The average student in the OECD area scored 497. Girls outperformed boys in all countries, except for Luxembourg. On average in the OECD, girls scored 502 compared with 492 for boys. This gap is even greater in Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey and the Russian Federation. Japan and Korea are the highest-performing OECD countries, with average PISA scores of 538 and 537 points, respectively. Other top-performing OECD countries in students’ skills include Finland (529), Estonia (523), the Netherlands (522) and Canada (522). The lowest performing OECD country, Mexico, has an average score of 417. This means that the gap between the highest and lowest performing OECD countries is 121 points. The gap with Brazil is even larger, with 132 points separating the average performance of Brazil and Japan. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students. In, Estonia, Iceland and Norway for example, students tend to perform well regardless of their social background. In France, New Zealand and Slovak Republic however, the gap between the students with the lowest socio-economic background and the students with the highest socio-economic background reaches more than 125 points, suggesting students’ socio-economic background tends to have an impact on their results. On average across OECD countries, there is a 96-point difference in PISA scores between the students with the highest and lowest socio-economic background.EnvironmentSupport a high-quality living environment_291a4b42-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c6The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. An unspoiled environment is a source of satisfaction, improves mental well-being, allows people to recover from the stress of everyday life and to perform physical activity. Having access to green spaces for example, is an essential part of quality of life. Also, our economies rely not only on healthy and productive workers but also on natural resources such as water, timber, fisheries, plants and crops. Protecting our environment and natural resources therefore remains a long-term priority for both our generation and those to come. Each country in the OECD has its own unique environmental concerns, due to differences in consumption, air and water pollution, climate, industry and trade. But countries also need to work together as certain environmental problems, like climate change and ozone destruction, do not respect national borders.Air PollutionAchieve below-average levels of air pollutants_291a4c78-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c6.1Air Pollution -- Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of peoples’ lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, globally the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long term. Some of these complications require hospital treatment, and may be fatal. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable. PM10 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In the last two decades, PM10 concentrations have significantly decreased in many OECD countries, and are at 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter on average, slightly above the annual guideline limit of 20 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization. The OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050 projects the number of premature deaths associated with exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 to increase from just over 1 million worldwide in 2000 to about 3.5 million in 2050.WaterProvide access to clean water_291a4ed0-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c6.2Water Quality -- Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Managing water to meet that need is a major – and growing – challenge in many parts of the world. Many people are suffering from inadequate quantity and quality of water. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, from fixed sources such as industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants, diffuse pollution from agriculture and urban run-offs remains a challenge and improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. On average, 84% of people in OECD countries say they are satisfied with water quality.Civic EngagementEarn trust in government_291a5042-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c7Today, more than ever, citizens demand greater transparency from their governments. Information on the who, why and how of decision making is essential to hold government to account, maintain confidence in public institutions and support a level playing field for business. Greater transparency is not only key to upholding integrity in the public sector; it also contributes to better governance. Indeed, openness and transparency can ultimately improve public services by minimising the risk of fraud, corruption and mismanagement of public funds. Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. Across OECD countries, 39% of citizens say they trust their national government.VotingAchieve high-levels of voter turnout in elections_291a5a2e-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c7.1Voter Turnout -- High voter turnout is another measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process. Voter turnout is defined as the percentage of the registered population that voted during an election. High voter turnout is desirable in a democracy because it increases the chance that the political system reflects the will of a large number of individuals, and that the government enjoys a high degree of legitimacy. Even if the right to vote is universal in all OECD countries, Brazil and the Russian Federation, not everyone exercises this right. In the most recent elections for which data is available, voter turnout averaged 72% in OECD countries. Research has shown that more educated people are more likely to vote than less educated ones, and that older people are more likely to vote than younger ones. There is little difference in the voting rate between men and women in most OECD countries, although in France, Ireland and Switzerland, men outvote women by more than 5 percentage points, while women outvote men by approximately 6 percentage points in Estonia and the United Kingdom. In Russian Federation, women outvote men by nearly 8 percentage points. How well-off you are also affects how likely you are to vote. Voter turnout generally increases with individual income and on average there is a 10 percentage point estimated difference between the top 20% of the population and the bottom 20%. This gap reaches 29 percentage points in Korea and 25 percentage points in Poland. However, in Chile, the bottom 20% are more likely to vote than the top 20%, but by a very small margin, suggesting there is broad social inclusion in their democratic institutions. Voter participation is the best existing means of measuring civic and political engagement for several reasons (high quality data, broad cross-country comparability). However, this measure is far from ideal, in particular because of institutional differences in electoral systems. While voter turnout is indeed compulsory (and strongly enforced) in several countries, it is nevertheless a useful measure of citizen engagement. In the context of the Better Life Index, voter turnout measures how civic engagement contributes to the well-being of people and society. From this perspective, high voter turnout reflects the will of a very large number of individuals (irrespective of what actually drives high participation).RegulationBuild consultation processes into the regulatory law-making process_291a5a2f-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c7.2Consultation on Rule-making -- Transparency in communication and open access to regulations promotes government accountability, a business-friendly environment and public trust in government institutions. Indeed, a country’s regulations contain much information about how a society is organised, the rules of the game and the political decisions taken. If citizens can readily access and understand regulations, it is more likely that they will participate in the legislative process and comply with the rules. The Consultation on Rule-making indicator describes the extent to which formal consultation processes are built-in to the regulatory law-making process. The indicator is based on a composite index comprised of various information on the openness and transparency of the consultation process. It refers to the existence of institutional practices but does not, however, gauge whether these procedures are in fact effective.HealthAchieve above-average levels of health_291a5a30-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c8Good health is one of the most important things to people and also brings many other benefits, including enhanced access to education and the job market, an increase in productivity and wealth, reduced health care costs, good social relations, and of course, a longer life. Life ExpectancyAchieve above-average life expectancy_291a5a31-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c8.1Life Expectancy -- Life expectancy is the most widely used measure of health, although it only takes into account the length of people’s life and not their quality of life. There have been remarkable gains in life expectancy over the past 50 years in OECD countries. On average, life expectancy at birth reaches 80 years across OECD countries, a gain of more than 10 years since 1960. Women live almost six years longer than men, averaging 83 years versus 77 years for men. The OECD countries with the highest life expectancy are Italy, Japan, and Switzerland with an average life expectancy of 83 years. At the other end of the scale, life expectancy among OECD countries is the lowest in Mexico, at 74 years. Life expectancy in the Russian Federation is 69 years, and it is 73 years in Brazil. Recent OECD analysis suggests that health care spending growth has contributed to the improvement in life expectancy, but other determinants such as rising living standards, environmental improvements, lifestyle changes and education are also important drivers. Taken together, these explain much of the cross-country differences in life expectancy, as well as changes over time. Further progress in population health status and life expectancy can be achieved by putting greater emphasis on public health and disease prevention especially among disadvantaged groups, and improving the quality and performance of health care systems. Chronic (non-communicable) diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes, are now the main causes of disability and death in OECD countries. Chronic diseases cause around three-quarters of all deaths in OECD countries. Many of these diseases are preventable, since they are linked to modifiable lifestyles. People who do not smoke, drink alcohol in moderate quantities, are physically active, eat a balanced diet, and who are not overweight or obese have a much lower risk of early death than those who have unhealthy habits. A number of OECD countries have achieved remarkable progress in reducing tobacco consumption over the past few decades. However, it is still a leading cause of early death and it remains the largest avoidable risk to health. Much of the decline in tobacco consumption can be attributed to public awareness campaigns, advertising bans and increased taxation. Less than 20% of adults in 15 OECD countries now smoke daily, down from over 30% in 1980. Only 13% of adults in Sweden and 14% of adults Iceland smoke daily. Tobacco consumption remains high in certain countries such as Greece where 32% of adults continue to smoke on a daily basis. Overweight and obesity is another important risk factor for many chronic diseases. In 20 of the 34 OECD countries, more than 50% of the adult population is now defined as being overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity, which presents more health risks than being overweight, varies from around 4% in Japan and Korea to 32% or over in Mexico and the United States. The rate of obesity has more than doubled over the past 20 years in a number of OECD countries and the average is 17.2%. Governments in many OECD countries have introduced policies to combat obesity through promoting more balanced diets and physical activity. Often these initiatives are aimed at school-age children, by changing the school environment and canteen menus, as well as including health and lifestyle education in the curriculum. Other initiatives include encouraging physicians to provide appropriate counselling for at-risk patients, strengthening food labelling and advertising regulations, and fiscal measures to tax unhealthy foods and reduce taxes on healthy foods.Self-Reported HealthAchieve above-average levels of self-reported health_291a5aa6-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c8.2Self-Reported Health -- Most OECD countries conduct regular health surveys which allow respondents to report on different aspects of their health. The commonly-asked question, “How is your health?” is one way of collecting data on self-perceived health status. Despite the subjective nature of this question, the answers received have been found to be a good predictor of people’s future health care use. Across the OECD, about 69% of the adult population say their health is ‘good’ or ‘very good. In the United States, 90% of adults report being in good health; while in Japan, Korea and Portugal less than 50% of people rate their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. Cultural factors may affect responses to this broad question on health status. Men are more likely to report good health than women, with an OECD average of 72% of men saying their health is ‘good’ or ‘very good’ compared with 67% for women. The gap is largest in Chile, Portugal and Turkey. In Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States, male and female rates are similar. Age and social status also have an impact on answers. Not surprisingly, older people report poorer health, as do those who are unemployed, or who have less education or income. About 80% of adults with a disposable income in the top 20% across OECD countries rate their health as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, compared to about 61% for those with a disposable income in the bottom 20%.Life SatisfactionObtain personal evaluations of life satisfaction_291a5c4a-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c9Measuring 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.Self-ExpressionAchieve above-average expressions of life satisfaction_291a5dd0-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c9.1Life Satisfaction -- Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. It captures a reflective assessment of which life circumstances and conditions are important for subjective well-being. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, people across the OECD gave it a 6.6 grade. Life satisfaction is not evenly shared across the OECD however. Some countries – Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, and Turkey – have a relatively low level of overall life satisfaction, with average scores of less than 5.5. At the other end of the scale, scores were higher than 7.5 in Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Switzerland. There is little difference in life satisfaction levels between men (6.6) and women (6.7) across OECD countries. Education levels do, however, strongly influence subjective well-being. Whereas people who have only completed primary education across OECD countries have a life satisfaction level of 6.2, this score reaches 7.2 for people with tertiary education. Happiness, or subjective well-being, is also measured by the presence of positive experiences and feelings such as enjoyment, feeling well-rested, smiling or laughing, and/or the absence of negative experiences and feelings such as pain, worry or sadness. Across OECD countries, 76% of people reported having more positive experiences in an average day than negative experiences. Iceland, Japan and New Zealand feel the most positive in the OECD area, while Greece and Turkey show lower levels of happiness.SafetyAchieve below-average risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime_291a5f9c-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c10Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals, and largely reflects the risks of people being physically assaulted or falling victim to other types of crime. Crime may lead to loss of life and property, as well as physical pain, post-traumatic stress and anxiety. One of the biggest impacts of crime on people’s well-being appears to be through the feeling of vulnerability that it causes... Fear of crime is another important factor as it can constrain behaviour, restrict freedom and threaten the foundation of communities. Despite a general reduction in assault rates in the past five years, in many OECD countries feelings of security have declined. Around 69% of people across OECD countries say they feel safe on the street after dark. While men are at a greater risk of being victims of assaults and violent crimes, women report lower feelings of security. This has been explained by a greater fear of sexual attacks, the feeling they must also protect their children and their concern that they may be seen as partially responsible. Social status also has an impact on victimisation rates and perception of security. People with higher income and higher education usually report higher feelings of security and face lower risks of crime. This can be explained by the fact they can afford better security and are less exposed to criminal activities such as youth gangs or drug smuggling.AssaultsAchieve below-average levels of assault_291a6136-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c10.1Assault Rate -- According to recent data, 3.9% of people in OECD countries say they have been assaulted or mugged over the past 12 months. There are major differences, however, between countries. The rates for Canada, Japan, Poland, the United States and the United Kingdom are below 2% but they reach more than 6% in Chile, Israel and Belgium, and 12.8% in Mexico. Although the assault rate in the Russian Federation is in line with the OECD average with approximately 4%, almost 8% of people in Brazil say they have been assaulted or mugged over the past 12 months. Assault rates are slightly higher for men across OECD countries, with 4.3% of men reporting assault or mugging, compared with 3.6% for women.HomicideAchieve below-average rates of homicide_291a62c6-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c10.2Homicide Rate -- Homicide rates (the number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants) only represent the most extreme form of contact crime and thus do not provide information about more typical safety conditions. They are however a more reliable measure of a country’s safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, the average homicide rate in the OECD is 4.1 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. Homicide rates for men are usually higher than those affecting women, with 6.9 per 100,000 for men and 1.3 per 100,000 for women.Work-Life BalanceFind a suitable balance between work and daily living_291a6596-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c11WorkersFamiliesFinding a suitable balance between work and daily living is a challenge that all workers face. Families are particularly affected. Some couples would like to have (more) children, but do not see how they could afford to stop working. Other parents are happy with the number of children in their family, but would like to work more. This is a challenge to governments because if parents cannot achieve their desired work/life balance, not only is their welfare lowered but so is development in the country. People spend one-tenth to one-fifth of their time on unpaid work. The distribution of tasks within the family is still influenced by gender roles: men are more likely to spend more hours in paid work, while women spend longer hours in unpaid domestic work. While on average men in OECD countries spend 141 minutes per day doing unpaid work, women spend 273 minutes per day cooking, cleaning or caring. This average difference, approximately 2.3 hours per day, conceals many disparities among countries. For instance Turkish and Mexican women spend approximately 4.3 hours more than men working on domestic chores, while the difference is only a little over one hour in the Nordic countries.Work HoursWork fewer hours than the average_291a685c-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c11.1Employees Working Long Hours -- An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardize safety and increase stress. The share of employees working more than 50 hours per week is not very large in OECD countries. Turkey is by far the country with the highest proportion of people working very long hours, with more than 43%, followed by Mexico with nearly 29% and Israel with nearly a fifth of employees. Overall, men spend more hours in paid work and the percentage of male employees working very long hours across OECD countries is 12%, compared with less than 5% for women.Leisure & Personal CareDevote more than the average amount of time to leisure and personal care_291a6a0a-dfd3-11e3-bdb8-9041ec429d9c11.2Time devoted to Leisure and Personal Care -- Furthermore, the more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as personal care or leisure. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people’s overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. A full-time worker in the OECD works 1 765 hours a year and devotes 62% of the day on average, or close to 15 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.). Fewer hours in paid work for women do not necessarily result in greater leisure time, as time devoted to leisure is roughly the same for men and women across the 20 OECD countries studied.2014-05-25OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net