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indicator value unit
Population 10.7 mil.
Visitors per year 24 mil.
Renewable energy 7.5 %

How’s Life?

The Czechia performs well across a number   of well-being dimensions relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. The Czechiaoutperforms the average in jobs, education, social connections, safety and life satisfaction. It underperforms the average in income and civic engagement. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In the Czechia, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 26 664 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 74% of people aged 15 to 64 in the Czechia have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 81% of men are in paid work, compared with 67% of women. In the Czechia, 5% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 7% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 2% of women.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In the Czechia, 94% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 95% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 93% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored 495 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 488. On average in the Czechia, girls outperformed boys by 10 points, above the average OECD gap of 5 points.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in the Czechiais around 79 years, two years lower than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 82 years, compared with 76 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 17 micrograms per cubic meter, above the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In the Czechia, 89% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, higher than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in the Czechia, where 96% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 62% during recent elections, lower than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 76% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 55%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Czech people gave it a 6.9 grade on average, slightly higher than the OECD average of 6.7.

 

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

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OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Czechia

OECD’s periodic surveys of the Czech economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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Czechia in Detail