Where-to-be-born Index

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s where-to-be-born index (previously called the quality-of-life index, abbreviated QLI) attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead. It is based on a method that links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries along with a forward-looking element.

Methodology

The index calculated for 2013 includes data from 80 countries and territories. The survey used ten quality of life factors along with forecasts of future GDP per capita to determine a nation's score.^[1]

The life satisfaction scores for 2006 (on a scale of 1 to 10) for 130 countries (from the Gallup Poll) are related in a multivariate regression to various factors. As many as 11 indicators are statistically significant. Together these indicators explain some 85% of the inter-country variation in life satisfaction scores. The values of the life satisfaction scores that are predicted by the indicators represent a country's quality of life index. The coefficients in the estimated equation weight automatically the importance of the various factors. The estimated equation for 2006 can be utilized to calculate index values for year in the past and future, allowing for comparison over time as well across countries.^[2]

The independent variables in the estimating equation for 2006 include:

Material well-being as measured by GDP per capita (in $, 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 organisations)
Governance (measured by ratings for corruption)
Gender equality (measured by the share of women holding seats in national Houses of Assembly)

2013 rankings

Where to be born index 2013 World map

Where to be born in 2013^[3]
Rank	Country	Score (out of 10)
1	Switzerland	8.22
2	Australia	8.12
3	Norway	8.09
4	Sweden	8.02
5	Denmark	8.01
6	Singapore	8.00
7	New Zealand	7.95
8	Netherlands	7.94
9	Canada	7.81
10	Hong Kong	7.80
11	Finland	7.76
12	Ireland	7.74
13	Austria	7.73
14	Taiwan	7.67
15	Belgium	7.51
16	Germany	7.38
16	United States	7.38
18	United Arab Emirates	7.33
19	South Korea	7.25
20	Israel	7.23
21	Italy	7.21
22	Kuwait	7.18
23	Chile	7.10
23	Cyprus	7.10
25	Japan	7.08
26	France	7.04
27	United Kingdom	7.01
28	Czech Republic	6.96
28	Spain	6.96
30	Costa Rica	6.92
30	Portugal	6.92
32	Slovenia	6.77
33	Poland	6.66
34	Greece	6.65
35	Slovakia	6.64
36	Malaysia	6.62
37	Argentina	6.52
38	Saudi Arabia	6.49
39	Brazil	6.41
40	Cuba	6.39
40	Mexico	6.39
42	Colombia	6.27
43	Peru	6.24
44	Estonia	6.07
44	Venezuela	6.07
46	Croatia	6.06
46	Hungary	6.06
48	Latvia	6.01
49	China	5.99
50	Thailand	5.96
51	Turkey	5.95
52	Dominican Republic	5.93
53	South Africa	5.89
54	Algeria	5.86
54	Serbia	5.86
56	Romania	5.85
57	Lithuania	5.82
58	Iran	5.78
59	Tunisia	5.77
60	Egypt	5.76
61	Bulgaria	5.73
62	El Salvador	5.72
63	Philippines	5.71
63	Sri Lanka	5.71
65	Ecuador	5.70
66	India	5.67
66	Morocco	5.67
68	Vietnam	5.64
69	Jordan	5.63
70	Azerbaijan	5.60
71	Indonesia	5.54
72	Russia	5.31
73	Syria	5.29
74	Kazakhstan	5.20
75	Pakistan	5.17
76	Angola	5.09
77	Bangladesh	5.07
78	Ukraine	4.98
79	Kenya	4.91
80	Nigeria	4.74

1988 rankings

The original quality-of-life index was released in 1988. It included a "philistine factor" for a lack of culture and a "yawn index" which measured how boring a country might be despite all its other advantages.^[1]^[4]

Rank	Country
1	United States
2	France
3	West Germany
4	Italy
5	Canada
6	Japan
7	Hong Kong
7	United Kingdom
9	Sweden
10	Netherlands
10	South Korea
12	Austria
13	Norway
13	Switzerland
15	Belgium
15	Ireland
15	Spain
18	Australia
18	Finland
18	New Zealand
21	Argentina
21	Soviet Union
23	Poland
24	Denmark
24	Hungary
24	Philippines
27	Greece
27	India
27	Mexico
30	Brazil
30	Israel
32	China
32	Portugal
32	United Arab Emirates
32	Venezuela
36	East Germany
36	Singapore
38	Malaysia
39	Yugoslavia
40	South Africa
41	Turkey
42	Indonesia
43	Pakistan
44	Egypt
45	Libya
46	Saudi Arabia
47	Nigeria
48	Iran
48	Iraq
48	Zimbabwe