Quality of life and social well-being slightly improved in Romania in 2024, while it stagnated or declined in the majority of the countries globally, according to the Social Progress Index, measured in 170 countries worldwide by the non-profit organization Social Progress Imperative, with support from Deloitte.
After more than ten years of continuous progress since the report was first published in 2011, the trend of stagnation or regression set in by 2023 due to the effects of the pandemic, the report also shows, with the global index rising modestly to 64.02 in 2024 (compared to 64 in 2023).
Romania slightly improved its overall score in 2024, reaching 74.61, which keeps it in the second tier of countries, meaning ranks 21 to 60 globally, a group it entered in 2022. This tier also includes countries like Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, the USA, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Moldova.
Romania now ranks 45th globally in terms of social-well being and quality of life, below the rest of the EU states but above Serbia (48th), the United Arab Emirates (49th), or Qatar (50th).
Romania slightly improved its global ranking in the “opportunity” category (45th globally, up from 46th in 2023), but saw declines in both “basic needs” (49th, down from 46th) and “well-being” (61st, down from 49th). Romania achieved its best results in personal freedom (37th globally), nutrition and medical care (41st), access to information and communications (42nd), and housing (43rd), while scoring lowest in health (83rd globally), basic education (80th), and water and sanitation (72nd). These three areas also reflect Romania’s gap compared to peer countries such as Hungary, Croatia, Greece, or the Baltic states, according to the report.
“Romania’s performance in the ranking remains stable and encouraging against the broader picture, and in terms of aligning economic potential with the population’s quality of life, the report provides further argument for making strategic investments in education, health, and the environment,” said Alexandru Reff, Country Managing Partner, Deloitte Romania and Moldova.
Norway remains the leader in the ranking in 2024, with a rising score of 91.95 (compared to 90.74 the previous year), followed closely by Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland, all with scores over 90, though stagnant. Europe dominates the top tier, with 15 of the top 20 highest scores.
Also in this top tier, in order, are Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. The only non-European countries in this top group are Australia (12th), Japan (14th), Singapore (15th), Canada (18th), and New Zealand (19th).
The United States ranks 31st globally (second tier), with a declining score of 81.65, and is cited as an exception among major world economies, as the quality of life and social well-being of its citizens have deteriorated between 2011 and 2024.
The G7 group of major economies evolved diversely in terms of quality of life and social well-being in 2024. Germany is the best-ranked (10th globally) and has improved, while Japan, the UK, and Canada have remained stable but stayed in the top tier. Among major emerging economies with populations over 100 million, Brazil (55th, second tier) is the only one that advanced in 2024 and even leads the overall ranking of best improvements since 2023. On the other hand, China (72nd) slightly declined, while Russia (77th) and India (111th) remained stagnant.
(Photo source: hyotographics | Dreamstime.com)
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