The UN Secretary-General’s Independent High-Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP released a report proposing the first global blueprint for how countries can assess progress that complements Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Expert Group’s report presents a dashboard of globally applicable indicators that provides a new compass of progress for people and planet.
For decades, GDP has guided major policy decisions at every level worldwide. While it remains an essential measure of economic output, relying on GDP alone risks an incomplete picture of progress — one where the economy can grow even as critical dimensions of well-being, like safety or environmental quality, deteriorate sharply.
The case for a broader understanding of progress has never been more urgent. People around the world are growing disillusioned with economic and political systems, and environmental crises are intensifying by the day — all while GDP continues to climb.
