science

Where-to-be-born Index

Where-to-be-born Index is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Where-to-be-born Index rather than just read about it. In short: The Where-to-be-born Index, formerly known as the Quality-of-life Index (QLI), was last published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2013. Its purpose was to assess which country offered the most favorable conditions for a healthy, secure, and prosperous life in the years following its release.

Key takeaways

Where-to-be-born Index belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Where-to-be-born Index to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Where-to-be-born Index from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Where-to-be-born Index, formerly known as the Quality-of-life Index (QLI), was last published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2013. Its purpose was to assess which country offered the most favorable conditions for a healthy, secure, and prosperous life in the years following its release. It was based on a method that combines the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys with the objective determinants of quality of life across countries, as well as forecasts for economic growth.

Methodology In 2013, an index was created using data from 80 countries and territories. The survey considered ten quality-of-life factors and future GDP per capita forecasts to determine each nation's score. Switzerland, Australia, and Norway topped the list with scores just above 8. Back in 2006, life satisfaction scores (rated on a scale of 1 to 10) for 130 countries (from the Gallup Poll) were analyzed through multivariate regression. Researchers identified 11 statistically significant indicators that explained about 85% of the variation in life satisfaction scores across countries. These predicted scores represent a country's quality of life index, with coefficients automatically weighing the importance of different factors. The estimated equation from 2006 allows for comparisons over time and across nations. The independent variables in the estimating equation for 2006 include:

Material well-being as measured by GDP per capita (in USD, at 2006 constant PPPS) Life expectancy at birth The quality of family life based primarily on divorce rates The state of political freedoms Job security (measured by the unemployment rate) Climate (measured by two variables: the average deviation of minimum and maximum monthly temperatures from 14 degrees Celsius; and the number of months in the year with less than 30mm rainfall) Personal physical security ratings (based primarily on recorded homicide rates and ratings for risk from crime and terrorism) Quality of community life (based on membership in social organizations) Governance (measured by ratings for corruption) Gender equality (measured by the share of women holding seats in national Houses of Assembly)

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Where-to-be-born Index

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Where-to-be-born Index claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Where-to-be-born Index before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Where-to-be-born Index ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Where-to-be-born Index

In research: Where-to-be-born Index appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Where-to-be-born Index in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Where-to-be-born Index is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Economist Intelligence Unit, International quality of life rankings, Social science indices, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Where-to-be-born Index outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Where-to-be-born Index in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Where-to-be-born Index means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Where-to-be-born Index out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Where-to-be-born Index in simple terms?

Why does Where-to-be-born Index matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Where-to-be-born Index?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Where-to-be-born Index.