Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

There is more to life than the cold numbers of GDP and economic statistics. This dataset contains the 2018 data of the Better Life Index which allows you to compare well-being across countries as well as measuring well-being, based on 11 topics the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and quality of life. Abstract: Your Better Life Index aims to involve citizens in the debate on measuring the well-being of societies, and to empower them to become more informed and engaged in the policy-making process that shapes all our lives. Each of the 11 topics of the Index is currently based on one to three indicators. Within each topic, the indicators are averaged with equal weights. The indicators have been chosen on the basis of a number of statistical criteria such as relevance (face-validity, depth, policy relevance) and data quality (predictive validity, coverage, timeliness, cross-country comparability etc.) and in consultation with OECD member countries. These indicators are good measures of the concepts of well-being, in particular in the context of a country comparative exercise. Other indicators will gradually be added to each topic.  Notes: Data cannot be compared between different editions of the Better Life Index. For more information on change over time, please contact [email protected].

The Regional well-being dataset presents eleven dimensions central for well-being at local level and for 395 OECD regions, covering material conditions (income, jobs and housing), quality of life (education, health, environment, safety and access to services) and subjective well-being (social network support and life satisfaction). The set of indicators selected to measure these dimensions is a combination of people's individual attributes and their local conditions, and in most cases, are available over two different years (2000 and 2014). Regions can be easily visualised and compared to other regions through the interactive website [www.oecdregionalwellbeing.org]. The dataset, the website and the publications "Regions at a Glance" and "How’s life in your region?" are outputs designed from the framework for regional and local well-being. The Regional income distribution dataset presents comparable data on sub-national differences in income inequality and poverty for OECD countries. The data by region provide information on income distribution within regions (Gini coefficients and income quintiles), and relative income poverty (with poverty thresholds set in respect of the national population) for 2013. These new data complement international assessments of differences across regions in living conditions by documenting how household income is distributed within regions and how many people are poor relatively to the typical citizen of their country. For analytical purposes, the OECD classifies regions as the first administrative tier of sub-national government, so called Territorial Level 2 or TL2 in the OECD classification. This classification is used by National Statistical Offices to collect information and it represents in many countries the framework for implementing regional policies. Well-being indicators are shown for the 395 TL2 OECD regions, equivalent of the NUTS2 for European countries, with the exception for Estonian where well-being data are presented at a smaller (TL3) level and for the Regional Income dataset, where Greece, Hungary and Poland data are presented at a more aggregated (NUTS1) level.