Which of the following indicators is the best to assess the living standard of people?

The correct answer is Physical quality of life index.

Key Points

• The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) is the best indicator to assess the living standard of people as it takes into account three basic dimensions of human life: basic literacy, life expectancy, and infant mortality rate.
• PQLI is a comprehensive indicator that measures the overall well-being of people, including their health, education, and standard of living.
• Literacy rate is an important indicator of the educational level of people, but it does not provide a complete picture of their living standard.
• Neonatal mortality rate and maternal mortality rate are important health indicators, but they do not capture the full range of factors that affect the living standard of people.

Additional Information

• Literacy rate:
  • It is the percentage of people who can read and write in a given population.
  • It is an important indicator of the educational level of people and their ability to access information and participate in the economy and society.
• Neonatal mortality rate:
  • It is the number of deaths of infants under 28 days of age per 1,000 live births in a given population.
  • It is an important health indicator that reflects the quality of maternal and child health care and the overall level of development of a society.
• Maternal mortality rate:
  • It is the number of deaths of women due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications per 100,000 live births in a given population.
  • According to UN inter-agency projections, the worldwide maternal mortality ratio (MMR) decreased by 34% between 2000 and 2020, from 339 deaths to 223 deaths per 100,000 live births.