GDP is an important measure of economic output, but it fails to capture many other aspects of life that matter to people, who benefits from growth and what is needed to sustain well-being in the future. The OECD is using a broad set of indicators to help policymakers and other stakeholders understand how different countries are doing in terms of well-being, whether life is getting better, and for whom. Better evidence on economic, social and environmental outcomes for people, and how those build up over time, can help design better and more people-centred policies, from understanding the broad-based drivers of mental health through to how the built environment shapes well-being. 

The living conditions we grow up in strongly influence vital aspects of our later lives such as health, personal safety, social networks, hopes and beliefs, or educational and career opportunities. Childhood disadvantage has the greatest impact on those children and families who experience it, but it also affects our society at large. Lack of opportunity and unfulfilled potential comes at a cost to the well-being of everyone, through weaker social cohesion, trust and economic prosperity.

OECD research suggests that spending on early childhood and families should not be seen as a cost, but as an investment that – when designed well - can pay significant dividends over the life course, improving outcomes for individuals, economies and societies. The Organisation has developed tools to share knowledge and experience on child and family policy across different contexts.  

Businesses do far more than provide employment, goods, and services. They help to shape the well-being and prospects of workers, consumers and the communities they operate in and they play an important role in maintaining the sustainability and prosperity of our society. Businesses are not yet fully equipped to measure and manage these vital impacts. In order to encourage better measurement, the OECD has developed a framework for measuring the non-financial performance of firms, with a particular focus on the well-being of stakeholders. The framework is built on existing OECD measurement guidelines, includes both objective and subjective measurements, and captures inequalities between people across the various dimensions of well-being.