Study on quality of life and social wellbeing: globally, two out of three people live in countries where social progress stagnated or declined in 2024. Romania improved slightly
Globally, two out of three people live in countries where the quality of life and social wellbeing stagnated or deteriorated in 2024, according to the latest edition of the Social Progress Index, measured in 170 countries around the world by the non-profit organization Social Progress Imperative, with the support of Deloitte. After more than ten years of continuous progress since 2011, when the report was first published, the trend of stagnation or regression took hold in 2023 because of the pandemic, the report also shows, and the global index rose modestly to 64.02 in 2024 (compared to 64 in 2023). Romania slightly improved its overall score last year, reaching 74.61, which keeps it among the countries in the second category, which it entered in 2022, and places it 45th in the world, below the rest of the EU states, but above countries such as Serbia (48th place), the United Arab Emirates (49th) or Qatar (50th).
Romania slightly improves its position in the world ranking in terms of opportunities (45th place in the world, compared to 46th in 2023), but scores lower than in previous years in both the basic needs category (49th place, compared to 46th previously) and wellbeing (61st place, compared to 49th). Analyzing the indicators included under these three chapters, our country obtained the best results in personal freedom (37th place in the world), nutrition and medical care (41st), access to information and communications (42nd) and housing (43rd), recording, in turn, the lowest scores in health (83rd place in the world), basic education (80th), and water and sanitation (72nd). In fact, these three areas mark also Romania’s gap in relation to states with a similar profile (peer countries), including Hungary, Croatia, Greece or the Baltic states, according to the report.
“The Social Progress Index remains a highly relevant framework for understanding the effects of the various instability factors that have marked the world in recent years – pandemic, political and geopolitical tensions, energy crisis, inflation, climate change –, and the results of the latest report published by the Social Progress Imperative show that the impasse that took hold in 2022 was not a momentary one and that the socio-human indicators it analyzes have been destabilized similarly to the purely economic ones. Moreover, comparing the evolution of GDP with that of the Social Progress Index, it is noticeable that the countries around the world display varying levels of success in converting economic growth into sustainable social effects. Romania's performance in the ranking remains stable and encouraging compared to the global landscape and, speaking of connecting economic potential to the quality of life of the population, the report is an additional argument in favor of making strategic investments in education, health and the environment,” stated Alexandru Reff, Country Managing Partner, Deloitte Romania and Moldova.
The evolution of GDP and the Social Progress Index are not in a deterministic relationship and, moreover, the two are increasingly less correlated in the post-pandemic years, the report shows. For example, Denmark and the US have similar GDP per capita, but the first is a top performer in the global ranking, while the latter has a rapidly declining score; in fact, in 2024, the American index was ten points lower than the Danish one (91.95, compared to 81.65).
Northern countries dominate the global ranking
Norway remains the leader of the ranking in 2024, with an increasing score of 91.95 (compared to 90.74 the previous year), closely followed by Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland, all with scores over 90, but stagnating.
Europe dominates the first category of countries, with 15 of the top 20 highest scores. The first category also includes, in order, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. The only countries from other continents included in this first echelon are Australia (12th place), Japan (14), Singapore (15), Canada (18), and New Zealand (19).
The United States rank 31st in the world (second category), with a score of 81.65, declining, and are mentioned as an exception among the world’s major economies, given that the quality of life and social well-being of citizens deteriorated between 2011 and 2024.
The G7 group of strong economies performed diversely in terms of quality of life and social well-being in 2024. Germany is the best ranked (10th in the world) and has grown, Japan, the UK and Canada have stagnated but remained in the first category, France and Italy have stagnated in the second category, and the US has declined.
Among the most important emerging economies, with populations over 100 million, Brazil (55th, second category) is the only one to have registered progress in 2024 and even leads the overall top of the best growth since 2023. On the other hand, China (72) has fallen slightly, and Russia (77) and India (111) have stagnated.
Social progress is defined as the ability of a state to ensure the basic needs of its citizens and facilitate an increase in the quality of life, while creating conditions for individuals to develop and reach their potential.
The Social Progress Index report is published annually, since 2011, by the Social Progress Imperative, and calculates the Social Progress Index based on the analysis of three main dimensions: basic needs (nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, housing and safety), foundations of wellbeing (basic education, information and communications, health, environmental quality), and respectively opportunity (rights and voice, freedom and choice, inclusion and advanced education).
The global results of the Social Progress Index 2025 are available here, along with the details for Romania.
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit and assurance, tax and legal, consulting, financial advisory, and risk advisory services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. The firm’s professionals deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society and a sustainable world. Building on its 175-plus year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories. Its objective is to make an impact that matters through its approximately 460,000 people worldwide.
Deloitte Romania is one of the leading professional services organizations in the country providing, in cooperation with Reff & Associates | Deloitte Legal, services in audit, tax, legal, consulting, financial advisory, risk advisory, business processes as well as technology services and other related services, through 3,200 professionals.