Victoria 3: How To Increase Standard Of Living

Learn about the different methods of increasing the standard of living in Victoria 3

Victoria 3 has a very diverse economic system controlled by several subsystems. The Standard of living is one of these subsystems, and you need to keep this score in check if you want your country to run efficiently. That brings us to this guide on Victoria 3 How to increase the standard of living, where we will discuss several methods of growing the standard of living and making sure the pops are happy.

Key Highlights
  • Pops in Victoria 3 have a standard of living score ranging from 0 to 99, reflecting their well-being.
  • The game classifies pops into three categories: upper strata, middle strata, and lower strata.
  • The simplest way to increase the standard of living is by raising wages.
  • Increasing profits from buildings involves adjusting input and output prices.
  • Subsidization can attract more pops to a building by offering higher wages.
  • Budget adjustments can raise wages for government and military employees.
  • More trade lines and a stable supply of goods reduce living costs.
  • Lowering taxes on pops increases their disposable income.
  • Enacting welfare laws boosts welfare spending and raises the standard of living.

Basic Need Of Population

3 strata of pops
Different Types of Pops [Image Credit: eXputer]
In Victoria 3, all pops have a standard of living score ranging between 0 to 99, which depicts their ability to survive and thrive in society. The simplest way to increase the standard of living is by increasing your population’s wealth and/or increasing the money faster in Victoria 3 that your country owns to introduce subsidization.

Pops have a set of basic needs that they will spend their wages on in order to survive. After these needs are met, the leftover money contributes to the wealth of the population. There are 3 categories of occupations and wealth in Victoria 3, which determine how much the population is paid. These are the upper strata, middle strata, and lower strata. 

Your goal is to make sure that the pop is able to fulfill its needs and has enough money left over to contribute to the population’s wealth in order to increase the standard of living. The following are the methods to do so.

Managing Wages

The simplest and most direct method of increasing the standard of living is by increasing wages. Wages, in Victoria 3, are the primary source of income for Populus. Each building in the game pays its workers (the pops) depending on their strata, and the wages depend further on several other factors. 

  1. Profit From Buildings:
    • Ensure your buildings operate in profit by adjusting input and output prices.
    • Lower input goods prices to reduce building expenses.
    • Increase the prices of produced goods to boost building profits.
    • Pops prefer to work in buildings that offer higher wages, so this strategy can attract more workers.
  2. Subsidization:
    • Subsidize buildings from the national treasury to provide constant wages, even if they don’t operate in profit.
    • Be cautious with subsidies, as they can strain your GDP. Use them when you have surplus funds.
  3. Competitive Market:
    • Introduce similar buildings to create competition for workers.
    • Competition can lead to increased wages as buildings try to attract more employees.
    • Diversify your industries to raise the average wages across all buildings.
  4. Wages of Government & Military Employees:
    • Adjust the wages of government and military employees through the budget tab.
    • Increasing their wages can enhance the standard of living.
  5. Healthy Supply Line:
    • Establish more trade lines to ensure a stable supply of goods.
    • Maintain a surplus of essential goods in your country to reduce their cost.
    • Lower costs mean more disposable income for your pops, contributing to higher living standards.
    • Monitor the market to identify goods your country lacks and consider importing or producing them.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively manage wages, boost the standard of living, and promote economic prosperity.

Managing Taxes

Taxes and budget
Where to set taxes and wages of Govt. and military pops [Image Credit: eXputer]
Lowering taxes on your population in Victoria 3 is a way to increase the standard of living. Reduced taxes allow your people to have more disposable income, which can contribute to greater wealth and an improved standard of living.

However, it’s essential to recognize that lowering taxes comes with trade-offs. When you reduce taxes, the state’s income decreases, leading to less money in the national treasury. This reduction can impact the GDP and limit your ability to fund various tasks and projects.

So, while reducing taxes can boost the standard of living, it requires careful consideration and balance to ensure the overall financial stability of your nation in Victoria 3.

Increasing Welfare Spendings

You can also effectively increase the standard of living in Victoria 3 by introducing welfare laws. Welfare spendings are a form of the wage for those pops who fall under the average wage of everyone in the country.

To enhance living standards in Victoria 3, consider implementing welfare laws. These laws provide financial support to those earning below the national average. Raising social security levels can expand welfare coverage, improving living conditions. Be cautious, as welfare recipients may have limited political influence.

Increasing welfare spending, achieved through Poor Laws, Old Age Pensions, and Wage subsidies, further boosts living standards. Note that these laws demand specific technology research for implementation.

welfare laws screen
Where to find and enact Welfare Laws [Image Credit: eXputer]

Summary

Increasing the Standard of living in Victoria 3 is important if you want to bring more life into your country and make it rich and powerful. An increased standard of living means fewer radicals. And so, if you don’t want a revolution brewing in your country and avoid getting kicked out of your own country, then you might want to consider giving more thought to increasing the standard of living of your pops.

In a nutshell, we can say that to increase the standard of living; we need to pay attention to the money our pops have. Keep in mind that Victoria 3 is a very complex game, and tampering with one thing will change another. Hence, you need to be careful and be sure not to go broke while increasing your standard of living.

That’s all from our side, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.


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Moiz Banoori is the brains behind eXputer. Having worked at various Video Game sites, with 8 years of Content Writing Experience and a Journalism Degree at hand, he presently monitors teams, creates strategies, and publishes qualified pieces through his aptitude at eXputer. Feel free to get in touch with him through his gaming profile on Steam and PSN.

Experience: 8+ Years || Manages Teams, Creates Strategies, and Publishes Guides on eXputer || Education: Bachelors in Journalism.

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