Chile’s Social Well-being Survey comprises 11 dimensions of well-being. Developed by the Ministry of Social Development and Family to inform the development of social policy, the Survey is conducted every two years.
Chile’s Social Well-being Survey
Abstract
Context
In October 2019, a series of social protests in Chile demonstrated widespread citizen dissatisfaction grounded in rising living costs and other factors. This crisis prompted the government to improve the availability of data on societal and citizen well-being. In November 2019, the Ministry of Social Development and Family began the design of its new survey on Social Well-being (Encuesta de Bienestar Social). The survey design used the OECD Well-being Framework as a reference point, and integrated consultation with stakeholders from the public sector, academia, civil society, and international organisations. The first Survey was conducted in early 2021 and is set to be repeated every two years, in conjunction with the Chile National Socioeconomic Characterisation Survey (CASEN).
Description and key outcomes
Chile’s Social Well-being Survey assesses people’s well-being outcomes and opportunities across 11 dimensions: income, work, housing, health status, work-life balance, education, social relations, civic engagement and governance, environmental quality, personal safety, and subjective well-being.
The 2021 Social Well-being Survey also included a regional assessment of social well-being, reporting on older people’s well-being, and reporting on persons with disabilities.
Interviews for the survey are conducted alongside the Chile National Socioeconomic Characterisation Survey (CASEN), on a sub-sample of CASEN interviewees, ensuring a full view of people’s material conditions and quality of life outcomes.
The data collected through the Social Well-being Survey have been used in the Ministry’s annual Social Development Report (Informe de Desarollo Social).
They have also been integrated in the National Health Strategy for the 2030 Health Goals (Estrategia Nacional de Salud para los Objetivos Sanitarios al 2030), such as perceptions on the quality of healthcare.
Policy relevance
The Survey’s two principal objectives are to monitor trends, outcomes, and disparities across the 11 dimensions of well-being through official indicators, and to provide an overview of people’s well-being and their opportunities to assist the design, development and evaluation of the government’s social policies.
Further information
“Chile’s Social Well-being Survey: Key Findings and some challenges”, presentation by Matías Cociña at OECD workshop, Implementing a well-being approach to policy and international partnerships in Latin America, 28-30 June 2022: https://www.slideshare.net/StatsCommunications/from-dashboards-to-decisionmaking-adapting-complex-information-on-wellbeing-for-policy-use-matas-cocia
Government of Chile, Social Observatory Division (2021), The Complementary Social Well-being Survey, https://www.cepal.org/sites/default/files/presentations/complementary-social-well-being-survey-chile-ministerio-desarrollo-social.pdf
INE, Encuesta de Bienestar Social 2023 [2023 Social Well-being Survey] website, https://www.ine.gob.cl/ebs (accessed October 31 2023)
INE (2022), Metodologia de Indicadores de Calidad de Vida 2022 [2022 Quality of Life Indicators Methodology], https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?L=es_ES&c=INEPublicacion_C&cid=1259937499084&p=1254735110672&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout¶m1=PYSDetalleGratuitas
INE (2022), Indicador Multidimensional de Calidad de Vida [Multidimensional Indicator of Quality of Life], https://www.ine.es/prensa/experimental_ind_multi_calidad_vida_2021.pdf
Ministry of Health (2022), Estrategia nacional de salud para los objectivos sanitarios al 2030 [National health strategy for sanitary objectives by 2030], https://www.minsal.cl/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Estrategia-Nacional-de-Salud-2022-MINSAL-V8.pdf
Ministry of Social Development, Encuesta CASEN [CASEN Survey], https://observatorio.ministeriodesarrollosocial.gob.cl/encuesta-casen
Ministry of Social Development and Family (2023), Encuesta de Bienestar Social 2023 [2023 Social Well-being Survey], https://observatorio.ministeriodesarrollosocial.gob.cl/encuesta-bienestar-social-2023
Ministry of Social Development and Family (2023), Informe de desarrollo social 2023 [Social development report], desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl/storage/docs/ids/Informe-desarrollo-social-2023.pdf
Ministry of Social Development and Family (2022), Informe de desarrollo social 2022 [Social development report 2022], https://www.desarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.cl/storage/docs/ids/Informe-desarrollo-social-2022.pdf
Ministry of Social Development and Family (2021), Encuesta de Bienestar Social 2021 [2021 Social Well-being Survey], https://observatorio.ministeriodesarrollosocial.gob.cl/encuesta-bienestar-social-2021
Ministry of Social Development and Family (2021), Encuesta de Bienestar Social [Social Well-being Survey], https://datasocial.ministeriodesarrollosocial.gob.cl/portalDataSocial/ebs
OECD resources
OECD, How’s Life in your country? Country notes, Chile, https://www.oecd.org/wise/measuring-well-being-and-progress.htm#country-notes
OECD (2020), How’s Life? 2020: Measuring Well-being, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/how-s-life_23089679
