This book studies and compares quality of life in 29 countries/societies in Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Korea(South), Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. We utilize the AsiaBarometer Surveys conducted annually from 2003 through 2008. We focus on the notion of subjective quality of life and conceptualize it as two levels, global and domain. After we explain about the AsiaBarometer Survey Project, we explore current country profile, demographics, lifestyles, value priorities, specific life domain assessment and overall quality of life. We then estimate the independent effects of demographics, lifestyles, value priorities, life domain assessment on the overall quality of life within each society. As well as comparing the results between nations, we look for key generalized characteristics of life quality for the entire and sub-regions of Asia.

Takashi INOGUCHI is Professor of Political Science at Faculty of Law, Chuo University and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo. Dr. Inoguchi is the editor of the Japanese Journal of Political Science published by Cambridge University Press. He is director of the AsiaBarometer project. He served as the Senior Vice-Rector of the United Nations University at the rank of Assistant-Secretary-General and President of Japan Association of International Relations. His published works include: The Quality of Life in Confucian Asia (forthcoming) (co-edited with Doh Chull Shin); Citizens and the State: Attitudes in Western Europe and East and Southeast Asia (2007) (coauthored with Jean Blondel); and Political Cultures in Asia and Europe (2006) (coauthored with Jean Blondel). Dr. Inoguchi graduated from the University of Tokyo with B.A. and M.A. in international relations in 1966 and 1968 respectively and received Ph.D. in political science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1974.