The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) was developed for Overseas Development Council in the mid-1970s by Morris David Morris. It was created due to dissatisfaction with the use of GNP as an indicator of development. The Physical Quality of Life Index measures the quality of life or well-being of a country based on three variables- basic literacy rate, infant mortality, and life expectancy at age one. All equally weighted on a 0 to 100 scale.
PQLI might be regarded as an improvement but it also shares the general problems of measuring quality of life in a quantitative way. It has also been criticized because there is considerable overlap between infant mortality and life expectancy. The UN Human Development Index is a more widely used means of measuring well-being.
