Explain how the standard of living in the UK could be measured.

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Explain how the standard of living in the UK could be measured.

The standard of living in a certain country primarily refers to the circumstances in which people live. It can be defined as the number of goods and services the population can consume, and the economic resources they have access to.

Basic necessities such as food, clothing and housing are fundamental to wellbeing, however standard of living considers people’s feeling of contentment, belonging, status and security within the society.

The most widely used measure of standard of living is GDP per capita. This measures the average household incomes in the country, and thus how much each household is able to spend on goods and services. The amount of money each household in the UK has available to spend is a key indicator of standard of living as it shows how much a person is able to participate in society. People’s ability to take part in and contribute to all aspects of life increases their happiness and consequently adds to their standard of living.

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Several other factors could be used to measure the standard of living in the UK, and out of those aspects, material possessions tops the list. Consumer durables such as home computers, televisions and dish washers considerably increase a person’s standard of living and therefore qualify to be considered as measure of standard of living in the UK.

Social welfare is also an important aspect of standard of living. Good health provisions always make citizens happy and it is an important part of the standard of living in the UK. Figures such as the number of patients per doctor ...

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