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Japan

Japan Lifestyle Stats

Background:

In general, the Japanese are amongst the happiest people in the world. In the World Values Survey of 2005, 63% of those surveyed described themselves as 'quite happy', the 9th highest rate amongst 50 nations, while a more modest 23% described themselves as 'very happy'. In contrast, however, the Japanese were found to be one of the least proud of their country, when surveys in the 1990s revealed just 27% were proud of their nationality.

Definitions

  • Amateur radio operators: International Amateur Radio Union (2000). "Status Summary of Radio Amateurs & Amateur Stations of the World 2000".
  • Amphetamine use: Percentage of people who have used amphetamines, generally for ages 15 and over. Spain and Greece: data for ages 15-64. Netherlands: data for ages 15-59. United Kingdom: data for ages 16-59. Germany: data for ages 18-59. Belgium: data for ages 18-65. France: data for ages 18-69. Data generally for 1999 or 1998. Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden: data for 1997. Austria: data for 1996. Denmark, France: data for 1995. Belgium: data for 1994. Canada: data for 1993.
  • Amphetamine use per million: Percentage of people who have used amphetamines, generally for ages 15 and over. Spain and Greece: data for ages 15-64. Netherlands: data for ages 15-59. United Kingdom: data for ages 16-59. Germany: data for ages 18-59. Belgium: data for ages 18-65. France: data for ages 18-69. Data generally for 1999 or 1998. Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden: data for 1997. Austria: data for 1996. Denmark, France: data for 1995. Belgium: data for 1994. Canada: data for 1993. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Cannabis use: Percentage share of people who have used cannabis, generally including people 15 and above. Different nations have, however, focussed their studies on different age groups. United States and Netherlands: data for years 12 and above. Greece: Data for ages 12 to 64. Australia: data for ages 14 and above. United Kingdom: data for ages 16 to 59. Germany: data for ages 18-59. Denmark and France: data for ages 18 to 69. Data for 1998 or 1999 in most cases. Germany, Poland, and Spain: data for 1997. Austria: data for 1996. Denmark, France and Ireland: data for 1995.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Armed forces: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Church: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Civil service: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Legal system: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Legal system per million: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Parliament: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Police: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Police per million: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Press: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Confidence in social institutions > Trade unions: Proportion of people in 1990s surveys expressing confidence in this social institution.
  • Discuss politics frequently: Proportions in 1990s surveys responding that they discuss politics frequently.
  • Financial satisfaction: Mean of self-ratings on ten-point scale - Survey in 1990s on financial satisfaction.
  • Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 1960: Alcohol consumption - Litres per capita by population aged above 15 in 1960. Data not available for United Kingdom, South Korea or Mexico.
  • Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 1980: Alcohol consumption - Litres per capita by population aged above 15 in 1980. Data not available for South Korea.
  • Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 2000: Alcohol consumption - Litres per capita by population aged above 15 in 2000.
  • Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > Current: Alcohol consumption - Litres per capita by population aged above 15. (Data for 2003).
  • Food and drink > Beer > Consumption: Litres of beer consumed per person per year (2002).
  • Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Carbohydrates: Grams of carbohydrates in a McDonald's Big Mac in each country. Results are from the McDonald's website in each country.
  • Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Energy: Amount of kilocalories in a McDonald's Big Mac in each county. Results are from the McDonald's website for each county.
  • Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Fat:

    Grams of fat in a McDonald's Big Mac in each country. Results are from the McDonald's website for each country.

  • Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Protein: Grams of protein in a McDonald's Big Mac in each country. Results are from the McDonald's website for each country.
  • Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Salt equivalent:

    Milligrams of salt in a McDonald's Big Mac in each county.  Results are from the McDonald's website for each country.   

  • Food and drink > Bottled water > Consumption: Consumption of bottled water. Litres per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Coffee > Consumption: Kilograms of coffee consumed per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Exports: Food comprises the commodities in SITC sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and SITC division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels)."
  • Food and drink > Fruit juice > Consumption: Consumption of fruit juices. Litres per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Pork > Consumption per capita: Measures taken in 1997 and based on carcass weight. Selected Nations only.
  • Food and drink > Soft drink > Consumption: Consumption of carbonated soft drinks. Litres per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Subway resturants: Number of Subway resturants by country
  • Food and drink > Subway resturants per million: Number of Subway resturants by country. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Food and drink > Tea > Consumption: Kilograms of tea consumed per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Total spirit > Consumption: Litres of spirits consumed per person per year, 2002.
  • Food and drink > Wine > Consumption: Litres of wine consumed per person per year (2002).
  • Freedom in decision making: Mean of self-ratings on ten-point scale - Survey in 1990s on freedom in decision making.
  • Happiness level > Very happy: Proportion of people who answered the survey question: "Taking all things together, would you say you are: very happy, quite happy, not very happy, or not at all happy?" by stating that they were "Very happy".
  • Happiness net: This statistic is compiled from responses to the survey question: "Taking all things together, would you say you are: very happy, quite happy, not very happy, or not at all happy?". The "Happiness (net)" statistic was obtained via the following formula: the percentage of people who rated themselves as either "quite happy" or "very happy" minus the percentage of people who rated themselves as either "not very happy" or "not at all happy".
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > Sports: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > TV or radio at home: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > Visiting or entertaining friends: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 15-24: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 25-44: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 65 and over: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Men: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Total: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Women: The measures of the quantity of leisure time presented here are based on information drawn from national and International Time Use Surveys. Participants to these surveys fill diaries over a number of days. Information from these diaries is then aggregated into a standard activity classification, with the sum of minutes spent in various (primary) activities summing to 24 hours per day.

    Time-use data from national surveys have been re-coded by the OECD to a common classification based on the five main categories of “paid work and study”; “home production”; “personal care”; “leisure activities”; and “other activities not classified elsewhere”. Adjustments have been made to account for cross-country differences in the age of people covered by the various national surveys. Finally, to account for differences across countries in time devoted to personal care, this has been set equal to the amount devoted to this activity in the country where this is lowest (Norway); the excess of daily time that residents of some countries devote to personal care has been added to leisure.
  • Leisure > Recreation and culture > Government expenditure on recreation and culture: Household expenditure on recreation and culture includes purchases of audio-visual, photographic and computer equipment; CDs and DVDs; musical instruments; camper vans; caravans; sports equipment; toys; domestic pets and related products; gardening tools and plants; newspapers; tickets to sporting matches, cinemas and theatres; and spending on gambling (including lottery tickets) less any winnings. It excludes expenditures on restaurants, hotels, and travel and holiday homes but includes package holidays.

    Government expenditures include administration of sporting, recreational and cultural affairs as well as the maintenance of zoos, botanical gardens, public beaches and parks; support for broadcasting services and, where present, support for religious, fraternal, civic, youth and other social organisations (including the operation and repair of facilities and payment to clergy and other officers.) Also included are grants to artists and arts companies. Capital outlays such as the construction of sports stadiums, public swimming pools, national theatres, opera houses and museums are included.
  • Leisure > Recreation and culture > Household and government expenditure on recreation and culture: Household expenditure on recreation and culture includes purchases of audio-visual, photographic and computer equipment; CDs and DVDs; musical instruments; camper vans; caravans; sports equipment; toys; domestic pets and related products; gardening tools and plants; newspapers; tickets to sporting matches, cinemas and theatres; and spending on gambling (including lottery tickets) less any winnings. It excludes expenditures on restaurants, hotels, and travel and holiday homes but includes package holidays.

    Government expenditures include administration of sporting, recreational and cultural affairs as well as the maintenance of zoos, botanical gardens, public beaches and parks; support for broadcasting services and, where present, support for religious, fraternal, civic, youth and other social organisations (including the operation and repair of facilities and payment to clergy and other officers.) Also included are grants to artists and arts companies. Capital outlays such as the construction of sports stadiums, public swimming pools, national theatres, opera houses and museums are included.
  • Leisure > Recreation and culture > Household expenditure on recreation and culture: Household expenditure on recreation and culture includes purchases of audio-visual, photographic and computer equipment; CDs and DVDs; musical instruments; camper vans; caravans; sports equipment; toys; domestic pets and related products; gardening tools and plants; newspapers; tickets to sporting matches, cinemas and theatres; and spending on gambling (including lottery tickets) less any winnings. It excludes expenditures on restaurants, hotels, and travel and holiday homes but includes package holidays.

    Government expenditures include administration of sporting, recreational and cultural affairs as well as the maintenance of zoos, botanical gardens, public beaches and parks; support for broadcasting services and, where present, support for religious, fraternal, civic, youth and other social organisations (including the operation and repair of facilities and payment to clergy and other officers.) Also included are grants to artists and arts companies. Capital outlays such as the construction of sports stadiums, public swimming pools, national theatres, opera houses and museums are included.
  • Life satisfaction: Most scores are based on responses to the following question: "All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life-as-a-whole now? 1 dissatisfied to10 satisfied" (item code O-SLW/c/sq/n/10/a). Scores of ten nations are based on responses to a somewhat different question: "Suppose the top of the ladder represents the best possible life for you and the bottom of the ladder the worst possible life. Where on this ladder do you feel you personally stand at the present time?" The response was rated on a ladder scale ranging from 0 to 10 (item code O-BW/c/sq/l/11/c). We transformed the scores using the information of nations in which both this item and the above question on life-satisfaction had been used in about the same years.
  • Life satisfaction inequality: This data is indicative of how much citizens differ in enjoyment of their life-as-a-whole.Life-satisfaction assessed by means of surveys in samples of the general population. Scores may be too low in some countries, due to under sampling of rural and illiterate population. In this ranking the focus is not on the level of happiness in the country, but on inequality in happiness among citizens.Inequality in happiness can be measured by the dispersion of responses to survey-questions. The degree of dispersion can be expressed statistically in the standard deviation and surveys items rated on a 10 step numerical scale are particularly usefull for that purpose. Most scores are based on responses to the following question: "All things considered, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your life-as-a-whole now? 1 dissatisfied to10 satisfied".
  • Members of voluntary organisations > Charity: Proportion saying they are active members of voluntary organisations in this category, 1990s surveys.
  • Members of voluntary organisations > Parties: Proportion saying they are active members of voluntary organisations in this category, 1990s surveys.
  • Members of voluntary organisations > Sport: Proportion saying they are active members of voluntary organisations in this category, 1990s surveys.
  • Not proud of their nationality: Percentage responding in 1990s surveys that they were not proud of their nationality.
  • Political action > Attended a demonstration: Proportion of respondents in 1990s surveys who have ever attended a demonstration.
  • Political action > Joined a boycott: Proportion of respondents in 1990s surveys who have ever joined a boycott.
  • Political action > Signed a petition: Proportion of respondents in 1990s surveys who have ever signed a petition.
  • Quality of life index: Quality of Life Index is an estimation of overall quality of life by using empirical formula (the formula is an our opinion and it's based on experiments). The actual formula might be changed. Currently, we put the highest weight to pollution - if the environment is polluted too much, the economy or safety cannot fulfill it. We put the second highest importance to safety, since it is more important to feel safe rather than wealthy, in our opinion. etc. The number 65 is added so that the numbers are in such range so it rarely goes under zero (65 is a range modifier).
  • Roller coasters: Number of roller coasters in each country. Includes both wooden and steel constructions.
  • Roller coasters per million: Number of roller coasters in each country. Includes both wooden and steel constructions. Figures expressed per million population for the same year.
  • Security > Victimisation rates > Victimisation by type of crime > All conventional victimisation: Crime statistics shown here are based on the 2005 International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS), run by a consortium coordinated by the United Nations Interregional Criminal Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). ICVS data for European countries are drawn from the European Survey on Crime and Safety, organised by a consortium led by Gallup Europe. Previous waves of this survey were conducted in 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000, and most results can be compared across waves.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > Negative experience index: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Anger: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Boredom: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Depression: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Pain: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Sadness: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Worry: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting positive experiences > Enjoyment: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Subjective well-being > Positive experience index: Measures of life satisfaction reflect the cognitive evaluation of life as a whole, now and five years from now, made by each person. The measures shown here are based on ladder-of-life questions, which ask respondents to rate their life from the worst (0) to the best (10) level, and refer to the share of people who rate their life (today and in the future) at step 7 or higher.

    Measures of positive and negative experiences and feelings refer to people who declared having experienced six different forms of negative and positive experiences during the previous day. Also shown are two composite indexes of positive and negative experiences, calculated at the individual record level. For each person, the 6 items are recoded so that positive answers are scored as 1 and negative answers (including “don’t know” and “refused to answer”) a 0; an individual record has an index calculated if it has at least 5 out of 6 valid scores. Each person’s composite index is the mean of valid items multiplied by 100, and the country level score shown in the table is the mean of all individual records for which an index was calculated.

    Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various survey questions.
  • Society > Suicides > Suicide rates and per capita GDP > Suicide rate: Data on suicide rates are based on official registers on causes of death based on international conventions surrounding the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The rates shown here are standardised using the OECD population structure of 1980, so as to allow controlling for differences in the age structure of the population across countries and over time. Suicide rates are expressed as deaths per 100 000 individuals.
  • Society > Suicides > Suicide rates by gender > Women: Data on suicide rates are based on official registers on causes of death based on international conventions surrounding the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The rates shown here are standardised using the OECD population structure of 1980, so as to allow controlling for differences in the age structure of the population across countries and over time. Suicide rates are expressed as deaths per 100 000 individuals.
  • Society > Suicides > Suicides rates and subjective life-evaluations > Suicide rates: Data on suicide rates are based on official registers on causes of death based on international conventions surrounding the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). The rates shown here are standardised using the OECD population structure of 1980, so as to allow controlling for differences in the age structure of the population across countries and over time. Suicide rates are expressed as deaths per 100 000 individuals.
  • Society > Volunteering and social support > Social support > Helped a stranger: A tool for valuing volunteering is provided by the new Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions in the System of National Accounts, developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civic Society Studies in co-operation with the United Nations Statistics Division. The Handbook recommends that countries regularly produce “satellite accounts” of the non-profit sector, providing a comprehensive picture of its size and operation. So far, eight OECD countries have implemented this handbook, with data referring to a year between 1999 and 2004, and four additional countries are committed to do so in the future.

    Beyond the comprehensive information available through these handbooks, information on the size of volunteering and social support is available for a larger number of countries through household surveys. The data presented here are drawn from the Gallup World Poll. Data on volunteering are based on the two following questions: “Have you donated money to an organization in the last month?” and “Have you volunteered your time to an organization in the last month?”. Data on social support from the same survey are based on the questions: “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?” and “Have you helped a stranger or someone you didn’t know who needed help in the last month?”. Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various questions.
  • Society > Volunteering and social support > Volunteering > Donated money: A tool for valuing volunteering is provided by the new Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions in the System of National Accounts, developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civic Society Studies in co-operation with the United Nations Statistics Division. The Handbook recommends that countries regularly produce “satellite accounts” of the non-profit sector, providing a comprehensive picture of its size and operation. So far, eight OECD countries have implemented this handbook, with data referring to a year between 1999 and 2004, and four additional countries are committed to do so in the future.

    Beyond the comprehensive information available through these handbooks, information on the size of volunteering and social support is available for a larger number of countries through household surveys. The data presented here are drawn from the Gallup World Poll. Data on volunteering are based on the two following questions: “Have you donated money to an organization in the last month?” and “Have you volunteered your time to an organization in the last month?”. Data on social support from the same survey are based on the questions: “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?” and “Have you helped a stranger or someone you didn’t know who needed help in the last month?”. Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various questions.
  • Society > Volunteering and social support > Volunteering > Volunteered your time: A tool for valuing volunteering is provided by the new Handbook on Nonprofit Institutions in the System of National Accounts, developed by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civic Society Studies in co-operation with the United Nations Statistics Division. The Handbook recommends that countries regularly produce “satellite accounts” of the non-profit sector, providing a comprehensive picture of its size and operation. So far, eight OECD countries have implemented this handbook, with data referring to a year between 1999 and 2004, and four additional countries are committed to do so in the future.

    Beyond the comprehensive information available through these handbooks, information on the size of volunteering and social support is available for a larger number of countries through household surveys. The data presented here are drawn from the Gallup World Poll. Data on volunteering are based on the two following questions: “Have you donated money to an organization in the last month?” and “Have you volunteered your time to an organization in the last month?”. Data on social support from the same survey are based on the questions: “If you were in trouble, do you have relatives or friends you can count on to help you whenever you need them?” and “Have you helped a stranger or someone you didn’t know who needed help in the last month?”. Population shares are calculated as a percentage of all respondents excluding those who refused or didn’t’ know how to answer the various questions.
  • Somewhat interested in politics: Proportions in 1990s surveys responding that they are somewhat interested in politics.
  • Trust people: Percentage in 1990s surveys agreeing that people can be trusted.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Criminal record holders: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Different race: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Drug addicts: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Emotionally unstable people: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Heavy drinkers: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Homosexuals: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Immigrants: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > People with AIDS: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Undesirable neighbours > Political extremists: Percentage in 1990s surveys thinking this group were undesirable neighbours.
  • Very proud of their nationality: Percentage responding in 1990s surveys that they were very proud of their nationality.
  • Will fight for country: Percentage in 1990s surveys responding that they are willing to fight for their country.
STAT AMOUNT DATE RANK HISTORY
Amateur radio operators 1.3 million 2000 1st out of 21
Amphetamine use 0.3% 1999 18th out of 26
Amphetamine use per million 0.00237% 1999 25th out of 26
Cannabis use 0.05% 1999 26th out of 26
Confidence in social institutions > Armed forces 44% 1990 13th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Church 12% 1990 17th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Civil service 36% 1990 15th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Legal system 61% 1990 6th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Legal system per million 0.494% 1990 16th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Parliament 28% 1990 17th out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Police 69% 1990 11th out of 16
Confidence in social institutions > Police per million 0.559% 1990 15th out of 16
Confidence in social institutions > Press 65% 1990 1st out of 17
Confidence in social institutions > Trade unions 36% 1990 9th out of 17
Discuss politics frequently 6% 1990 17th out of 17
Financial satisfaction 6.2 1990 14th out of 15
Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 1960 5 litres per capita 1960 17th out of 24
Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 1980 7.1 litres per capita 1980 24th out of 29
Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > 2000 7.6 litres per capita 2000 25th out of 30
Food and drink > Alcohol > Consumption > Current 7.6 litres per capita 2003 25th out of 30
Food and drink > Beer > Consumption 55 litres 2002 16th out of 18
Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Carbohydrates 45.2 g 2012 4th out of 37
Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Energy 557 kcal 2012 1st out of 39
Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Fat 30.5 g 2012 1st out of 38
Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Protein 25.5 2012 33th out of 39
Food and drink > Big Mac nutritional values > Salt equivalent 2,800 mg 2012 1st out of 35
Food and drink > Bottled water > Consumption 10.4 litres 2002 17th out of 18
Food and drink > Coffee > Consumption 1.4 kgs 2002 15th out of 18
Food and drink > Exports 0.69 2009 111th out of 116
Food and drink > Fruit juice > Consumption 20.7 litres 2002 15th out of 18
Food and drink > Pork > Consumption per capita 36.1 1997 15th out of 18
Food and drink > Soft drink > Consumption 21.6 litres 2002 18th out of 18
Food and drink > Subway resturants 103 2006 9th out of 82
Food and drink > Subway resturants per million 0.806 2006 43th out of 77
Food and drink > Tea > Consumption 0.9 kgs 2002 4th out of 18
Food and drink > Total spirit > Consumption 8.2 litres 2002 1st out of 18
Food and drink > Wine > Consumption 10 litres 2002 15th out of 18
Freedom in decision making 5.6 1990 15th out of 15
Happiness level > Very happy 23% 2005 26th out of 50
Happiness net 72% 2005 19th out of 50
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > Sports 6.39% 2009 10th out of 18
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > TV or radio at home 46.96% 2009 2nd out of 18
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across activities > Visiting or entertaining friends 3.83% 2009 16th out of 18
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 15-24 20.9% 2009 16th out of 17
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 25-44 16.18% 2009 16th out of 17
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Ages 65 and over 33.75% 2009 15th out of 17
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Men 22.15% 2009 17th out of 18
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Total 21.74% 2009 17th out of 18
Leisure > Leisure Time > Leisure time across demographic groups > Women 21.53% 2009 17th out of 18
Leisure > Recreation and culture > Government expenditure on recreation and culture 0.151% 2009 26th out of 26
Leisure > Recreation and culture > Household and government expenditure on recreation and culture 6.28% 2009 11th out of 23
Leisure > Recreation and culture > Household expenditure on recreation and culture 6.12% 2009 6th out of 26
Life satisfaction 6.2 2004 34th out of 69
Life satisfaction inequality 2.1 2004 71st out of 87
Members of voluntary organisations > Charity 2% 1990 16th out of 17
Members of voluntary organisations > Parties 2% 1990 13th out of 17
Members of voluntary organisations > Sport 8% 1990 11th out of 16
Not proud of their nationality 36% 1990 1st out of 17
Political action > Attended a demonstration 12% 1990 16th out of 17
Political action > Joined a boycott 6% 1990 16th out of 17
Political action > Signed a petition 58% 1990 9th out of 17
Quality of life index 165.44 2014 11th out of 69
Roller coasters 240 2006 2nd out of 75
Roller coasters per million 1.88 2006 12th out of 74
Security > Victimisation rates > Victimisation by type of crime > All conventional victimisation 9.9% 2005 25th out of 26
Society > Subjective well-being > Negative experience index 24.63 2008 or latest available 2009 13th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Anger 17.71% 2009 11th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Boredom 21.85% 2009 12th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Depression 24.27% 2009 1st out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Pain 22.99% 2009 15th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Sadness 16.4% 2009 21st out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting negative experiences > Worry 31.83% 2009 16th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > People reporting positive experiences > Enjoyment 71.77% 2009 23th out of 28
Society > Subjective well-being > Positive experience index 68.78 2008 or latest available 2009 14th out of 24
Society > Suicides > Suicide rates and per capita GDP > Suicide rate 20.3 Per 100 000 persons, 2004 1980 2nd out of 29
Society > Suicides > Suicide rates by gender > Women 10.4 Per 100 000 persons, 2004 1980 2nd out of 29
Society > Suicides > Suicides rates and subjective life-evaluations > Suicide rates 20.3 1980
Society > Volunteering and social support > Social support > Helped a stranger 22.72% 2004 28th out of 28
Society > Volunteering and social support > Volunteering > Donated money 25.64% 2004 22nd out of 28
Society > Volunteering and social support > Volunteering > Volunteered your time 24.72% 2004 13th out of 28
Somewhat interested in politics 57% 1990 6th out of 17
Trust people 42% 1990 9th out of 17
Undesirable neighbours > Criminal record holders 50% 1990 3rd out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Different race 11% 1990 5th out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Drug addicts 91% 1990 1st out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Emotionally unstable people 62% 1990 1st out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Heavy drinkers 58% 1990 5th out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Homosexuals 69% 1990 1st out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Immigrants 17% 1990 3rd out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > People with AIDS 77% 1990 2nd out of 16
Undesirable neighbours > Political extremists 82% 1990 1st out of 16
Very proud of their nationality 27% 1990 15th out of 17
Will fight for country 23% 1990 17th out of 17

SOURCES: Wikipedia: Amateur radio operator; OECD; OECD. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; World Values Survey; World Values Survey. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; OECD Health Data 2005; Global Market Information Database, published by Euromonitor; Wikipedia>Big Mac; Wikipedia>Big Mac ; Wikipedia> Big Mac; World Bank staff estimates from the Comtrade database maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division.; USDA Census of Agriculture; Subway, 2006.; Subway, 2006. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.; World Values Survey 2005; OECD Country statistical profiles 2009; World Database of Happiness, Happiness in Nations, Rank Report 2004/1  Average happiness in 90 nations 1990-2000; World Database of Happiness, Happiness in Nations, Rank Report 2004/3b. Equality of  happiness in 90 nations 1990-2000. How much citizens differ in enjoyment of their life as a whole; quality of life; The Roller Coaster Database, 2006.; The Roller Coaster Database, 2006. Population figures from World Bank: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects, (2) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years), (3) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (4) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (5) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme, and (6) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database.

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