The Basque Country Ranks Eighteenth Worldwide in Quality of Life
According to the latest report from the Basque statistical institute Eustat, the Basque Country, also known as Euskadi, has a human development index of 0.93, ranking it eighteenth worldwide for the high quality of life of its inhabitants. This index takes into account dimensions such as health, education, and per capita income.
The report, which applies the methodology of the United Nations development program, shows that Euskadi “remains at the level of the most developed countries on the planet, just above Canada.” In comparison, Spain occupies position 27 with a human development index of 0.91, very similar to that of the Basque Country.
Despite the setback caused by the pandemic, the data indicate a recovery of well-being worldwide. However, this improvement is uneven across different countries. While OECD countries have already recovered their human development index from 2019, half of the least developed countries are still below that level.
In Euskadi, the quality of life is recovering after the challenges of the past two years. The human development index in 2022 is the same as in 2019, primarily due to an increase in gross income per capita. Although life expectancy has slightly decreased from 83.8 to 83.4 years, overall well-being has improved in Euskadi over the last decade.
One area where the Basque Country excels is in expected years of schooling, with 18.6 years – ranking among the top countries in the world. Australia leads in this indicator with 21.1 expected years of schooling.
Overall, the Basque Country’s high quality of life and improvements in well-being demonstrate the region’s commitment to providing a good standard of living for its residents.