Briefing
The Spanish National Statistics Institute (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) publishes the results of the Indicador Multidimensional de Calidad de Vida (IMCV) for 2025 on 23 October 2026. The aggregate index rises moderately from 101.43 points (2024) to 101.74 points (2025). Six of the nine quality-of-life dimensions measured improved compared with the previous year: material living conditions, work, health, education, the environment and people’s experience of their own lives. By contrast, scores fell in the areas of Ocio y relaciones sociales (leisure and social relationships) and Seguridad física y personal (physical and personal safety).
The Institute stresses that the IMCV is an experimental composite statistic that combines different sources and is based on a common scale; time series may be adjusted retrospectively when new annual data are included. No direct causal relationships can be inferred from the aggregate; for detailed analysis, the Institute refers readers to the underlying individual indicators and methodological appendices.
There are marked regional differences: Comunidad Foral de Navarra, La Rioja and the País Vasco has the highest IMCV scores among the autonomous communities. At the lower end of the scale are regions facing structural challenges in employment, infrastructure and environmental conditions. The Statistical Office publishes accompanying tables and methodological notes that allow disaggregation by sex, age, educational attainment and geographical level; the press analysis also points to a slight advantage for men over women in the IMCV overall score.
This year’s publication aims to promote transparency: it seeks to broaden the focus beyond purely economic measures and inform policy debates on priorities in health, education, social participation and safety. However, specific policy conclusions can only be drawn after a more in-depth analysis of the individual indicators.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).