The Portuguese Well-being Index (WBI) evolved positively between 2004 and 2020. It is estimated that the 2020 value remained in 2021.

The WBI illustrates developments in well-being using ten synthetic indices. These indices reveal two dimensions: Material Living Conditions and Quality of Life.

Between 2009 and 2013, these two indices evolved in opposite directions, with Material Living Conditions showing a downward trend and Quality of Life an increasing trend. Between 2013 and 2016, they changed in the same direction. After that year, Quality of Life maintained a smooth downward trend, and Material Living Conditions grew until 2019 and decreased slightly from that year onwards.

Considering only the period after 2013, nine of the ten domains that make up the WBI showed a tendentially positive evolution. The three domains belonging to Material Living Conditions presented the most favourable evolution, despite the reduction observed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (see Box “Some results related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic”).