Quality of life in provinces in Indonesia; Measured with Happy Life Years

The quality of life in different geographical areas can be measured by how long and happy people live in an area. This approach was applied to the 34 provinces in Indonesia. Survey data on happiness were combined with register data on longevity in an index of Happy Life Years (HLY). Scores on this index range from 59 in Kalimantan Timur to 47 in Papua Barat. Some 59% of these differences in apparent quality of life can be explained by regional economic development, competitiveness, democracy and control of corruption, while income-inequality does not explain any of the differences. The relevance of this information for public and private choice is discussed.