mirëqenie

Mirëqenia is the Albanian term for well-being, referring to the overall condition of a person’s life, including health, happiness, and prosperity. In everyday use it covers physical and mental health, social relationships, economic security, education, and living environment. Etymology: mirë means good and qenie denotes life or existence, yielding a literal sense of “good life.” In academic and policy contexts, mirëqenie is used to discuss quality of life, welfare, and development outcomes in Albanian-speaking communities, notably in Albania, Kosovo, and neighboring regions.

Dimensions and measurement: well-being is commonly described as multidimensional. Physical health, mental health and resilience, social cohesion and support, income sufficiency, housing, education, and environmental quality all contribute. Researchers distinguish subjective well-being—people’s own evaluation of life satisfaction and happiness—from objective indicators such as life expectancy, poverty rates, and access to services. International frameworks on well-being often combine these approaches, linking mirëqenie to broader goals of social justice and sustainable development.

Historical context: the idea traces to classical philosophy’s eudaimonia and to modern welfare economics and quality-of-life research. In policy discourse, mirëqenie is used to justify investments in health care, education, social protection, and inclusive growth, aiming to raise the standard of living without sacrificing dignity or equality.

See also: quality of life, happiness economics, human development index, social welfare.