Iceland 2nd best for quality of life

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson Eggert Jóhannesson

Quality of life in Iceland is the second best in the OECD, with only Norway scoring higher, according to the OECD Better Life Index.

“Iceland performs well in many measures of well-being relative to most other countries in the Better Life Index,” reads the OECD Iceland-specific report.

The Index compares the 34 countries of the OECD on the basis of “11 topics the OECD has identified as essential, in the areas of material living conditions and quality of life”, from income and education, to the environment and civic engagement.

“Iceland ranks at the top in jobs and earnings, and above the average in social connections, subjective well-being, health status, environmental quality, personal security, civic engagement, and education and skills,” concludes the study.

Icelanders themselves, on a scale of 0 to 10, rate their general satisfaction with life at 7.5, compared to an overall OECD average of 6.6.

Iceland’s Achilles’ heel appears to be work-life balance. As reported previously by Iceland Monitor, Icelanders devote ninety minutes less per day to leisure and personal care than the average Dane or Spaniard and a high proportion work very long hours.

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