The study of the development of the Mediterranean countries is an important sociological experiment. This article analyses recent developments in some factors that help explain the improvement in quality of life that occurred in the last two decades of the 20th century in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries. Quality of life is considered to be a factor related to culture, the system of life and development, which is measured in terms of well-being and not only in economic terms. The article analyses atypical developments in economic sectors and the labour market in African and Asian Mediterranean countries compared to European countries. The creation and development of public policies by African and Asian governments is also appreciated, and their effectiveness is compared with policies implemented in European Mediterranean countries.