Spain among world’s best for work-life balance, finds OECD’s Better Life Index

If you have a paid job, Spain is one of the best places in the world to live

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published the results of its latest Better Life Index, revealing that Spain performs particularly well on a number of indices.

Despite a worldwide lowering in overall life satisfaction – a global mood swing no doubt caused by the persistent economic crisis – Spain managed to post positive results in many areas, including a table-topping work-life balance, a strong sense of community, fine health and excellent levels of safety…

The Better Life Index rated the 34 richest and most stable nations around the world, ranking them each on the following topics: Housing, Income, Jobs, Community, Education, Environment, Civic Engagement, Health, Life Satisfaction, Safety and Work-Life Balance.

While Spain performed notably poorly on some indices – Jobs and Income did not, unsurprisingly, rank highly – generally life in Spain is above the OECD average.

The results of the study make for some interesting reading. Income-wise, Spain’s average household net-adjusted disposable income of €16,962 was slightly below the OECD average of €17,111, and the gap between Spain’s richest and poorest members of society is huge – the top 20 per cent of earners in Spain are six times better-off than the bottom 20 per cent.

Employment levels were also below the OECD average – 58 per cent of working-age Spaniards have a paid job, compared to an average of 66 per cent. However, Spaniards also work fewer hours than the average employee in the study – 1,690 hours a year compared to 1,776. In terms of education, too, Spain was below par, with just 53 per cent of adults aged 25-64 in possession of a degree, compared to the OECD average of 74 per cent.

The good news
While poor job prospects, lower earnings and fewer highly educated people are important metrics, the OECD study also laid bare – in cold, hard statistics – the strength of Spain’s lifestyle and culture. For example, Spaniards live longer than most other nationalities in the world, with a life expectancy at birth of 82 years compared to the OECD average of 80 years.

Community performed superbly well, too, with Spaniards’ gregarious, friendly nature and innate sense of civic duty helping the country score highly in this realm: a massive 93 per cent of Spaniards say they can call on someone they know in their time of need, above the 90 per cent OECD average.

And in terms of work-life balance, Spain’s score of 9.1 (out of ten) made it the leading OECD nation in the entire study.

Compared to the other nations in the Better Life Index, Spain performed above average overall, the country’s superb cultural strength masking some of the more structural shortcomings that have eroded further since the economy took a tumble. Indeed, despite the economic problems, Spain is still one of the safest countries in the world, with the eighth-lowest homicide rate, high levels of gender equality and a widespread sense of personal security among its citizens.

For potential home buyers, the results would seem to suggest that right now, raising a child and looking for a job in Spain might prove challenging. However, if your reasons for buying a property in Spain are fuelled by a desire to enjoy the country’s warmth (both social and climate), its solid social structures and its impressive work-life balance, then the country remains a fine choice.

Indeed, 94 per cent of Spaniards said they were satisfied with their current housing situation – way higher than the 87 per cent OECD average. Spain also ranked second out of all OECD nations for providing housing with all basic facilities included – another sound reason to consider purchasing a property in Spain.