Better Life Index 2013 – http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/canada/
Canada performs exceptionally well in measures of well-being, as shown by the fact that it ranks among the top Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in a large number of topics in the Better Life Index.
Income
Money is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Canada, the average household net-adjusted disposable income is $28,194 USD a year, more than the OECD average of $23,047 USD a year. But there is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest – the top 20% of the population earn more than five times as much as the bottom 20%. Canadian households on average spend 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, slightly above the OECD average of 21%. In Canada, the average home contains 2.6 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.6 rooms per person and the highest rate in the OECD
Hours of Work
People in Canada work 1,702 hours a year, less than the OECD average of 1,776 hours. 4% of employees work very long hours, much lower than the OECD average of 9%,
Education
Canada is a top-performing country in terms of the quality of its educational system. The average student scored 527 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 497, making Canada one of the strongest OECD countries in students’ skills.
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy at birth in Canada is 81 years, one year higher than the OECD average of 80 years. Life expectancy for women is 83 years, compared with 79 for men.
Government Trust
Voter turnout, a measure of public trust in government and of citizens’ participation in the political process, was 61% during recent elections; this figure is lower than the OECD average of 72%.
Life Satisfaction
Canadians are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average, with 82% of people saying they have more positive experiences in an average day (feelings of rest, pride in accomplishment, enjoyment, etc) than negative ones (pain, worry, sadness, boredom, etc). This figure is higher than the OECD average of 80%. General satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Canadians gave it a 7.4 grade, higher than the OECD average of 6.6.
Volunteering
On average, people in Canada spend 2 minutes per day in volunteering activities, lower than the OECD average of 4 minutes per day.
Health Care Spending
Total health spending accounts for 11.4% of GDP in Canada, nearly two percentage points higher than the OECD average of 9.5%. Canada also ranks above the OECD average in terms of total health spending per person, at $4,445 USD in 2010, compared with an OECD average of $3,268 USD
Smoking
Canada provides an example of a country that has achieved remarkable progress in reducing tobacco consumption, with the rate of daily smokers among adults having been cut by half since 1980 from 34% in 1980 to 16.3% today, a lower rate than the OECD average of 21.1%.
Obesity
In Canada, the obesity rate among adults is 24.2%, higher than the OECD average of 17.8%. Two out of 3 men are overweight and 1 in 4 people are obese in Canada,
Personal Care
People in Canada devote 64% of their day, or 14.3 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socializing with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – less than the OECD average of 14.9 hours.
Trends in Training and Development:
Canadian organizations modestly increased funding for training, learning and development between 2010 and 2012. The Canadian organizations surveyed in The Conference Board of Canada’s Learning and Development Outlook spent an average of $705 per employee, compared with $688 per employee in 2010. Those who invested more in learning and development were also the organizations that were being rewarded with higher levels of employee performance, customer satisfaction, and quality products and services compared to their competition.
Stress Test
https://worksmartlivesmart.com/vulnerability-to-stress-test/
Is stress putting you at risk? The following test will indicate your positive coping skills. It will also give you some clues as to what you can improve upon in order to deal with your stress or to decrease your stress load.
Additional Resources:
To View A List of Possible Wellness Programs – Visit Sample Wellness Programs
To see Aon Hewitt Rapid Response results for the most common elements of a wellness program, visit:
https://worksmartlivesmart.com/common-elements-of-a-wellness-program/
For the results of the Employee Benefits Healthcare Study on the most common benefits to combat stress in the workplace visit: https://worksmartlivesmart.com/common-benefits-to-combat-stress/
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
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