“…On a number of measures, modern children's lives have clearly improved thanks to better public safety and support for their physical and mental health. …”

“…A persistent long-term challenge has been the hollowing out of the middle class, which has experienced stagnating incomes and rising costs of living. Two pressing policy challenges for this group relate to improving childcare and the climate transition. …”

“…Still, progress has recently slowed and Chile's catch-up in living standards is challenged by low and stagnant productivity and a still high level of inequality. …”

“…Fiscal policy has to balance gradual tightening with providing well-targeted temporary support to households who are vulnerable to rising costs of living, supporting growth and addressing significant investment needs. …”

“…Shifts in relative incomes in the past ten years generally favoured prime-age and elderly age groups. Persons living in multi-adult households have seen their income shares rise somewhat, especially in households without children, or when there are two or more earners present. …”

“…While the German federal fiscal system has been successful in promoting a high standard of living even in regions whose economic capacity is low, tensions have emerged. …”

“…Innovation holds the key to ongoing improvements in living standards, as well as to solving pressing social challenges. …”

“…As its workforce ages and major economies shift towards producing higher value-added goods and services, New Zealand will face increasing challenges to remain globally competitive and maintain high living standards. Future growth will need to come increasingly from productivity gains, and resources will have to shift towards activities that rely more on skills, technology and intangible assets. …”

“…Since the 1970s, Korea has become one of the most energy-intensive economies in the OECD area, thanks to higher living standards, rapid urbanisation and an expanding industrial sector. …”

“…In particular, the use of group-living, where dementia ..…”

“…This paper defines a global middle class as all those living in households with daily per capita incomes of between USD10 and USD100 in PPP terms. …”

“…It says that reform is needed because: coverage of formal pension systems is relatively low; withdrawal of savings before retirement is very common; pension savings are often taken as lump sums and often do not provide people with adequate income over their lifetime; pensions payments are not automatically adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living. In OECD countries, an average of 70% of the working-age population are eligible for a pension. …”

“…In particular, the dramatic spread of defined-contribution pension provision around the world means that investment risk has a direct effect on living standards in old age. This paper explores how uncertainty over investment returns affects individuals’ retirement incomes and government budgets. …”

“…But many suffer from low productivity, curbing their role in boosting living standards. There are several ways to spur MSME productivity growth over the medium term. …”

“…Tax incentives have a positive (although rather short-lived) effect on business-financed R&D. Direct funding as well as tax incentives are more effective when they are stable over time: firms do not invest in additional R&D if they are uncertain of the durability of the government support. …”

“…Using socio-demographic information on 44 000 individuals in 30 OECD countries obtained from the World Values Survey, this study shows that living in a socially mobile society is conducive to individual life satisfaction. …”

“…The focus is on reviewing trends in severe disability (or dependency), defined where possible as one or more limitations in basic activities of daily living (ADLs, such as eating, washing/bathing, dressing, and getting in and out of bed), given that such severe limitations tend to be closely related to demands for long-term care. …”

“…The September 11th terrorist attacks, the Chernobyl nuclear accident, Hurricane Andrew and the Kobe earthquake are all recent examples of large-scale disasters that have taken a massive toll in human lives, wealth and property. They have disrupted vital systems such as transport and energy supplies and spilled over into neighbouring as well as distant regions. …”

“…However, ambitious fiscal consolidation efforts and deep structural reforms can both raise long-run living standards and reduce the risks of major disruptions to growth by mitigating global imbalances…”

“…True, new technologies hold the promise of higher economic growth and improved living standards. Besides the potential impact of technology on efficiency gains, ICT may provide opportunities for better utilising existing skills. …”