QUALITY-OF-LIFE INDEXES FOR ARAB COUNTRIES IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

Attempts at measuring the complex concept of quality of life (QOL) are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is placed on combining 'objective' and 'subjective' aspects for adequate measurement of QOL. Statistical issues in the measurement of QOL, particularly the quest for objectivity, are discussed and multivariate techniques are found useful in arriving at analytical constructs based on a large number of indicators. Data for 120 countries on thirty variables in the second half of the 1980s are used to construct QOL indices for Arab countries in an international context. The value of QOL indices constructed in this paper are compared to the Human Development Index (HDI). The International Bill of Human Rights is proposed as a basis for the measurement of human welfare. The potential benefits of this approach are discussed.