Measuring what makes a ‘good life’ in exile. A new tool to assess refugee wellbeing in protracted displacement

For the estimated 35.3 million men, women and children who live as refugees – often for many years – is life better in camps or in cities? What determines their wellbeing – and can the international community provide programming and funding that is better targeted to improve it?

To answer this, IIED is leading the first large-scale study to compare the experiences of refugees living in camps and cities in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Jordan and Kenya. This working paper describes how an innovative new tool to measure refugee wellbeing was developed as part of this research and its potential to inform innovative solutions to support those living in protracted exile. It can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool to encourage practitioners to move towards a more holistic vision of refugee wellbeing.