The Well-Being Index (IBE) in Portugal fell slightly in 2021 compared to 2020, from 45.8% to 45.7%, according to data published at the end of 2022 by the National Statistics Institute in Portugal (INE). This is, on a scale of zero to 100, the lowest value since 2017, being lower than the one the country recorded in 2019 (47.2%), i.e. before the pandemic appeared. So, now that 2023 is here, is quality of life good in Portugal? This is what the figures state about both quality of life in Portugal and well-being.
Regarding quality of life in Portugal, the reduction was more accentuated having registered a drop in 2021 compared to 2020 of 0.3%: it went from 46.3% to 46%. Since the peak reached in 2017 (47 points), this was the fifth consecutive drop in this indicator.
"The preliminary data for 2021 point to the maintenance of the IBE value of the previous year. Between 2004 and 2020, the IBE rose from 20.9 to 45.8, although the evolution of the Quality of Life has also been globally positive," concludes INE.
According to the national statistics office, "the two perspectives of analysis of well-being - translated by the synthetic indices of "Material Conditions of Life" and "Quality of Life" - presented, even so, distinct behaviours over time". The INE also adds that "the Quality of Life index was always higher than the Material Conditions of Life index, with the exception of the period from 2008 to 2009 and the year 2019".
It's important to note that quality of life among expats and foreigners moving to Portugal is widely regarded as among the best in Europe and the world. According to data from Immigrant Invest, 84% of those who moved to Portugal in 2021 were satisfied with their lives, compared to the global average of 75%.
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