In recent years there has been plenty of discussion about the quality of life. One of the topics has been comparing and measuring the life quality by country to country. Previously used GDP value (initials standing for Gross Domestic Product) has been criticized of being too narrow and unsuitable for the modern world, where sociological and economical (in Finnish, talous) values are different than during the years of industrialization.
For this demand OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development helping to stimulate economic progress and world trade for its’ member countries, has developed a new tool for measuring the quality of life called “Better Life Index”. There are eleven different, measurable variables that make possible to compare countries quality of life to each other, for example environment, safety, education and health. The new index is not meant to override the GDP but to broaden the comparison by using different values.
The new meter is not just for nice statistic. The strong movements in Europe and North Africa at 2011 could have been foreseen, if there would have been more wider measuring system than previously used GDP. The quality of life is strongly related to the need of change, and probably in these countries the new index would have give a hint of what was coming.
Since established in 1961, the OECD has had a goal to help the leaders of countries to plan and foresee the actions that could be used in helping the welfare of the citizens of that country. The OECD is considered neutral and expert organization in its field, so their measuring tools are more easily widely accepted.
The new measuring tool needs more testing and final adjustment before it is completely ready, but it can already serve for comparison between the countries – and can give important information about the movements and feelings related to the quality of life.
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