How to Measure Quality of Life

Co-authored by Guy Reichard

Last Updated: January 6, 2023

Your quality of life relates to your physical, emotional, and social well being. Having a good quality of life often means you are happier and healthier on a regular basis. Measuring quality of life can be subjective and hard to pinpoint, but you can use several different methods. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI) of your country or city can tell you more about quality of life. You can also use the Mercer Quality of Living Survey and other indicators like your personal relationships and your sense of purpose to determine quality of life.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using GDP, HDI, and the Survey

1
Look up your country's GDP. The Gross Domestic Product measures the amount of goods and services produced in a country per year. It determines the country’s financial output and measures how much money people are making in the country annually. If your country is ranked high on the list, this could mean your quality of life is high. If your country is ranked towards the bottom of the list, the quality of life in your country may be lower.^{[1]
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- You can find a list of projected GDP for countries around the world on StatisticTimes.com: http://statisticstimes.com/economy/countries-by-projected-gdp.php.
- Keep in mind the GDP rankings will shift or change year to year. It can be useful for determining quality of life from a material and economical perspective.
- Note that there are gaps in the GDP measurement, since it does not focus on aspects of social, emotional, and physical well being for individuals. You may need to look at other measurements in addition to the GDP to get a detailed picture of quality of life in your country or area.
2
Calculate the GDP for individuals in your country. To look at GDP on an individual basis, you can divide a country’s GDP by its total population to get the GDP per capita. This reflects how much money on average a person in the country earns per year.
- Search online for the total population of your country so you have the correct data for the calculation.
- For example, if you are looking at the GDP for individuals in the U.S., you would take the U.S. GDP of 18.57 trillion dollars and divide it by the U.S. population of 323.1 million people. The result would be a GDP per capita of $57,4700. This means on average, people make $57,4700 per year in the U.S.
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3
Check your country’s HDI. The Human Development Index (HDI) looks at schooling for the population in a country. It also looks at the life expectancy at birth and the gross national income per capita, or how much money people make on average. The UN releases a detailed map of HDI rankings around the world every year, ranking each country from “very high human development” to “low human development." If your country has a high HDI, it usually means the quality of life is high.^{[2]
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- You can find a detailed map on HDR.org: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries.
- The HDI is often used as a complement to the GDP measurement.
- Keep in mind that HDI does not take into account the equality gap between genders or races, though there are plans to expand the HDI measurement and make it more complete.
4
Find out where your city ranks on the Mercer Quality of Living Survey. This survey is put out by the Mercer organization to determine the quality of life in 200 cities around the world. The survey asks questions about public safety, public transportation, political stability, and the quality of the environment, as well as entertainment and culture. If your city participated in the survey this year, look on the Mercer website to find out where it ranks.
- The survey is given to employees at participating companies to complete. The results are then reviewed and cities are ranked based on their scores.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Looking at Personal Indicators

1
Examine the quality of your living conditions. Think about whether you feel comfortable and safe in your living conditions. If you feel your housing is not safe or stable, this can negatively affect your quality of life. You also may not feel your living area is comfortable due to high crime, a lack of community, or rising housing costs.^{[3]
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- Consider questions like:
  - "Is your living condition within your means and income?"
  - "Do you feel your living conditions are sound and stable?"
  - "Do you feel safe in your neighborhood or area?"
2
Think about your access to healthcare and education. Your quality of life can also be measured by how easy it is for you to get treatment for any health issues or to make an appointment with your doctor. If your quality of life is high, you should not feel worried about being able to afford healthcare or to get medical treatment for an issue when you need it.^{[4]
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- You should also feel you have access to education that is high quality and affordable, especially higher education. You should be able to go to school and get a good education without having to worry about debt, funding, or your safety.
3
Evaluate how secure and safe you feel in your country. Personal security and safety is another key aspect of a high quality of life. You should feel you are physically safe, where you do not have to worry about experiencing violence when you are in public or at home. You should also have economic safety, where you feel you have a good income and enough financial support to live.^{[5]
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- Things like war, conflict, and famine can all negatively affect your sense of security and safety.
- High crime can also make you feel less secure or safe in your country.
4
Analyze your social interactions and relationships. On a social level, your quality of life is often high if you have a strong sense of community and good interpersonal relationships. You may be close to your family or cultivate strong friendships in person and online. You may have strong ties to members of your community and your neighbors.^{[6]
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- You should also feel you have a handful of people you can count on and reach out to when you need help or support. A feeling of community and strong social ties can often boost your quality of life, even if you do not have a high income or an ideal living situation.
5
Think about your sense of purpose and meaning in life. Another key aspect of a high quality of life is feeling like you have clear goals and aspirations in life. You should feel your life has meaning beyond day to day habits or rituals. You may find a sense of purpose in your job, your community, or your work. Having a strong sense of purpose and meaning often translates to a high quality of life, especially long-term.^{[7]
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- If you feel you do not have a strong sense of purpose or meaning, you may try investing in your social interactions or relationships to improve it. Often, focusing on one aspect of your quality of life and improving it can then improve your quality of life overall.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can you improve your quality of life?

Guy Reichard
Executive Life Coach
Guy Reichard is an Executive Life Coach and the Founder of HeartRich Coaching & Training, a professional life coaching and inner leadership training provider based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He works with people to create more meaning, purpose, well-being, and fulfillment in their lives. Guy has over 10 years of personal growth coaching and resilience training experience, helping clients enhance and transform their inner worlds, so they can be a more positive and powerful influence on those they love and lead. He is an Adler Certified Professional Coach (ACPC), and is accredited by the International Coach Federation. He earned a BA in Psychology from York University in 1997 and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from York University in 2000.

Guy Reichard

Executive Life Coach

Expert Answer

Take time to clarify, prioritize, and honor your deepest personal values. Values are what're really important to us in life, and they reflect who we are at the deepest level. When we know what we value and we live a life in alignment with those values, we are literally improving the quality of our lives.