Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors.
Compatibility matters
When asked, "How is your health in general? Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question. Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives.
Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing. Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs.
In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being.
Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing. Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets e.
Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies.
Trace Find Search People South Africa
Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government.
Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In South Africa, many people participate in the informal economy where the quality of jobs and access to training is low. At the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, young people are connected to employers looking for entry-level talent to help them get their start in the formal economy. This project is co-funded by the South African government under the Job Fund, and aims to match young people with potential employers through psychometric and qualitative assessments.
Young people with at least upper secondary education are targeted in particular and training is provided for those testing with low levels of numeracy proficiency. Candidates are also provided with bridging courses to improve their employability. Since the project was first launched in , Harambee has placed about 35 young people in South African businesses.
Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries. Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings.
OECD Better Life Index
Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.
An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping.
The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. South Africa.
Did you know? Visitors per year Renewable energy Key Findings Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. More Resources How's Life? Key Findings Humans are social creatures.
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Key Findings A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Better Policies for Better Lives Collaborating to advance skills The South African government and non-governmental organisations have engaged in a number of initiatives to develop skills. Key Findings The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Better Policies for Better Lives Green communities Shortcomings in infrastructure quality and delivery disproportionately affect the poor and rural populations.
Key Findings Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Key Findings Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Key Findings While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being.
Key Findings Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. Better Policies for Better Lives Helping youth find formal work In South Africa, many people participate in the informal economy where the quality of jobs and access to training is low. Key Findings Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings.
Key Findings Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. An extra 3. Because StatsSA publish results of the survey four times every year, attention is paid to the quarterly changes in unemployment. Short-term changes like these likely do not reflect real changes owing to sampling measurement issues.
Long-term trends in unemployment are more important. By the expanded definition, unemployment has risen by 8. Two of those percentage points have occurred in the past two years. On the ground, unemployment still hews to the divisions imposed during apartheid. The North West and Eastern Cape provinces suffer the worst unemployment — Continued gender disparities are also mirrored in the figures: Create Account Lost Your Password? Toggle navigation Toggle profile. Create Account. Devil in the detail Unemployment seems to be a straightforward conversation about whether or not people have work.
Dennis Webster has a research background in labour, land and housing.
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