Elukvaliteedi

Elukvaliteedi, Estonian for quality of life, is a multidimensional concept used to describe the overall well-being of individuals and populations. It encompasses material conditions such as income and housing, health, education, access to services, living environment, safety, social cohesion, and the ability to participate in civic and cultural life. Because it blends objective living conditions with subjective judgments, elukvaliteedi is studied through both quantitative data and self-reported assessments.

Subjective indicators include self-rated life satisfaction, happiness, and sense of purpose, while objective indicators cover income, employment, health outcomes, educational attainment, housing quality, environmental quality, and safety. Researchers often create composite measures by combining several indicators; widely used examples at the international level include the Human Development Index and the OECD Better Life Index, while many countries publish national quality-of-life indicators.

In policy and research, elukvaliteedi serves as a tool to evaluate welfare outcomes, guide resource allocation, and monitor progress toward social goals. It is sensitive to cultural expectations and adaptation, which can complicate cross-country comparisons. Limitations include differing scales of measurement, data availability, and the challenge of weighting diverse components. For a complete view, elukvaliteedi analysis typically integrates both subjective well-being and objective living conditions, with attention to material, health, environmental, and social dimensions. In European policy discourse, improving elukvaliteedi is linked to sustainable development, social inclusion, and equitable growth.