Beyond GDP: a review and conceptual framework for measuring sustainable and inclusive wellbeing

Abstract

Policy making has long focused on economic growth as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), diverting attention from sustainable wellbeing for all. Despite high-quality proposals to go beyond GDP, their integration into policy and societal discourse remains limited. A new UN initiative, Valuing What Counts, provides an opportunity for establishing and institutionalising global measurement of metrics beyond GDP, a crucial step to enable a transition into a safe and just space for humanity. Here, we inform this process by consolidating 50 years of literature on Beyond GDP metrics, addressing three core challenges. First, we resolve the lack of interdisciplinary collaboration by integrating five scientific schools of thought in one measurement approach. Second, we alleviate confusion arising from numerous Beyond GDP alternatives, offering a structured analysis of 65 metrics, delineating their measurement objectives. Finally, we bridge the divide between scientific proposals and country-specific approaches. We unite country-specific needs with a standardised and interdisciplinary measurement approach, presenting a dashboard for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing.