Overview of the NS Quality of Life Initiative
The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Initiative
aspires to centre wellbeing as a measure of success
and progress that guides us all.
The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Initiative began with us getting curious about a question: What if there is a better way to measure how we're doing?
Traditionally, much of the information we use to make decisions is based on economic data. Those data are not wrong - they are just incomplete.
When we asked Nova Scotia residents how they think we should measure success (on a scale of 1-10):
58% said: “By growing the economy.”
82% said: “By improving our quality of life.”
Based on this response, we believe that if we treasure it, we should measure it. So we embarked on two firsts, in partnership with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and groups across the province, to:
Release the Nova Scotia Quality of Life Index in 2018, and
Undertake the Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey in 2019. Almost 13,000 people responded to 230 questions, making it the single largest dataset of its kind in North America.
Since surveying, we’ve been sharing the results widely and equipping people to use them - and creating innovative tools to do that, like the Wellbeing Mapping Tool and Wellbeing Analysis Tool.
The survey findings can be used to inform and influence leadership, decision-making, and policy across sectors, so that what matters most to Nova Scotia residents and their wellbeing can be invested in, created, and supported.
Like the survey results, the Initiative is in the hands of many people. It's also a 'many years' commitment (as we like to say), and part of that includes re-surveying Nova Scotia residents in 2025.
For now, 2019 findings include summary results and A Closer Look below. Plus, you can ask us for analysis or data.
A Closer Look: The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Survey
This supplementary analysis shares high-level information about demographic groups that caught the attention of Canadian Index of Wellbeing, insights about the eight domains of wellbeing, and analysis related to six areas of focus: social isolation, sense of community, feelings of trust, experiences of discrimination, poverty, and health.
This is the third in a series of documents prepared through the collaboration of Engage Nova Scotia and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.
An exploration of Wellbeing in Nova Scotia: A Summary of Results from the Nova Scotia Quality Of Life Survey
The summary document is the result of over 12,000 Nova Scotians participating in a 230-question survey throughout May and June 2019. It is the largest dataset of its kind in Canada and goes further and substantially deepens our understanding of how Nova Scotians are doing.
This is the second in a series of documents prepared through the collaboration of Engage Nova Scotia and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.
Nova Scotia Quality of Life Index: 1994-2014
The Nova Scotia Quality of Life Index – modeled on the Canadian Index of Wellbeing – assembles 21 years of data for 60 indicators across eight domains of quality of life to offer a high-level perspective of how Nova Scotians are doing.
It identifies trends over time and compares them to results for Canada overall, and it draws attention to Nova Scotia’s strengths and challenges. It is the first in a series of collaborations between us and the Canadian Index of Wellbeing.