5 African Countries with the Best Quality of Life Index Scores

  • The quality of life index measures living conditions within countries, using quantifiable yardsticks such as the purchasing power of the people and the quality of accessible healthcare.
  • This list is courtesy of Numbeo, the leading global provider of perceived consumer prices and other statistics.

People’s quality of life is undoubtedly one of the most important metrics for determining countries’ levels of development. That’s why development experts and policymakers pay close attention to countries’ quality of life index scores.

As its name suggests, the quality of life index measures living conditions within countries, using quantifiable yardsticks such as the purchasing power of the people and the quality of accessible healthcare. The higher the quality of life index of a country, the better. Below is how Numbeo defines it:

“Quality of Life Index (higher is better) is an estimation of overall quality of life by using an empirical formula which takes into account purchasing power index (higher is better), pollution index (lower is better), house price to income ratio (lower is better), cost of living index (lower is better), safety index (higher is better), health care index (higher is better), traffic commute time index (lower is better) and climate index (higher is better).”

Recall that we have previously written about African countries with the best property price-to-income ratio and cost of living index etc. And now, we shall be looking at five countries with the best quality of life index scores. This list is courtesy of Numbeo.

1. South Africa: At 136.02, South Africa has the highest quality of life index score in Africa. The country’s purchasing power index currently stands at 78.36. It has a healthcare index score of 63.97 and a cost of living index score of 42.09. Also, the country’s property price to income ratio is at 3.07, even as the pollution index is at 56.57.

Historic downtown Johannesburg (Image Source: Tripadvisor)

2. Tunisia: This North African country has a quality of life index score of 114.56. The purchasing power index in the country stands at 27.83, and the healthcare index is at 56.54. Meanwhile, the cost of living index is currently standing at 27.87, with the property price to income ratio at 11.75, even as the country’s pollution index is at 70.84.

Central downtown Tunis (Image Source: Imen Hentati)

3. Morocco: This country has a quality of life index score of 107.54. The country’s purchasing power index is currently at 34.36, and the healthcare index is at 46.69. Meanwhile, the cost of living index is currently at 33.83 and the property price to income ratio is at 12.60, even as the pollution index is at 69.34.

Downtown Rabat (Photo by Beum Portƒolio)

4. Kenya: Kenya has a quality of life index score of 92.54. The country’s purchasing power index is currently at 32.18, and the healthcare index is at 63.40. Meanwhile, the cost of living index is currently at 33.92 and the property price to income ratio is at 24.24, even as the pollution index is at 69.34.

Downtown Nairobi (Image Source Blackpast)