The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a think tank based in Paris, released its index of social well-being of different economies.

The semi-annual study gives a glimpse on several social indicators such as safety, marriage and divorce rates, health care, life longevity and politics.

One of the good indicators is how long are people from various nations expected to live on the average. Based on 2011 data, the survey said that Swiss live the longest, at an average of 82.8 years. The shortest life spans among the 40 countries surveyed are those in India at 65.5 years.

Aussies placed 6th at 82 years and Kiwis 11th at 81.2 years for life expectancy.

In terms of life satisfaction, the two neighbours Down Under are neck-to-neck at 10th and 11th spots with identical satisfaction ratings of 7.2 out of 10. However, Canadians ranked higher at 8th place with a rating of 7.4.

Part of their satisfaction could be attributed to social welfare spending in 2012-13 as a percentage of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The French topped this chart with 32.8 per cent, while New Zealand was in 17th place at 22.2 per cent and Australia at 24th place with 19.2 per cent.

Like many OECD member-nations where careers often have higher priority over family life, it is not surprising that the two giants in terms of population - China and India - would top the list of percentage of married respondents by age 15 at rates of 79 per cent and 70.7 per cent, respectively.

Australia was 27th with 54.5 per cent, Canada at 28th with 49.4 per cent and New Zealand at 31st with 48.6 per cent.

But the good thing is that citizens of these 3 nations stuck to their marriage since the divorce rates in Canada, New Zealand and Australia for respondents aged 15 and above who are already divorced are only 5.2 per cent, 4.7 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively. In contrast, topnotcher Czech Republic has a divorce rate of 11.1 per cent.

When it comes to confidence in their national governments, Australia was in 22nd spot with a rating of only 43.7 per cent which is not surprising considering that in 2012, Canberra had three prime ministers within the 12-month period in the persons of Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.