--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/moving-from-a-gdp-based-to-a-well-being-based-metric-of-economic-performance-and-social-progress-results-from-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-oecd-countries-1980-2009/" title: "Moving from a GDP-Based to a Well-being Based Metric of Economic Performance and Social Progress: Results from the Index of Economic Well-Being for OECD Countries, 1980-2009" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:17:22+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T13:17:22+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Canada" - "economic equality" - "economic security" - "GDP" - "IEWB" - "Index of Economic Well-Being" - "Norway" - "OECD" - "well-being" country_focus: - "Canada" - "OECD" province_region: - "National" research_theme: - "Economic Well-Being" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/old-reports_hero_banner_bg.webp" status: "publish" --- # Moving from a GDP-Based to a Well-being Based Metric of Economic Performance and Social Progress: Results from the Index of Economic Well-Being for OECD Countries, 1980-2009 Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/moving-from-a-gdp-based-to-a-well-being-based-metric-of-economic-performance-and-social-progress-results-from-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-oecd-countries-1980-2009/ # Moving from a GDP-Based to a Well-being Based Metric of Economic Performance and Social Progress: Results from the Index of Economic Well-Being for OECD Countries, 1980-2009 [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2011-12-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Osberg, Lars, and Andrew Sharpe. 2011. “Moving from a GDP-Based to a Well-being Based Metric of Economic Performance and Social Progress: Results from the Index of Economic Well-Being for OECD Countries, 1980-2009.” CSLS Research Report 2011-12. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/moving-from-a-gdp-based-to-a-well-being-based-metric-of-economic-performance-and-social-progress-results-from-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-oecd-countries-1980-2009/ ## Authors: - Lars Osberg Department of Economics, Dalhousie University - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2011-12 September 2011 79 pages ## Related research [Measuring the Appropriate Outcomes for Better Decision-Making: A Framework to Guide the Analysis of Health Policy Matthew Calver March 2016 | Report 2016-03 | 132 pages](https://csls.ca/research/measuring-the-appropriate-outcomes-for-better-decision-making-a-framework-to-guide-the-analysis-of-health-policy-2016-03/) [Living Standards Domain of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing Andrew Sharpe, Christopher Ross November 2011 | Report 2011-17 | 124 pages](https://csls.ca/research/living-standards-domain-of-the-canadian-index-of-wellbeing-2011-17/) [Productivity: Key to Economic Success Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) March 1998 | Report 1998-01 | 99 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-key-to-economic-success/) [Apprenticeship in Canada: A Training System Under Siege? Andrew Sharpe December 1999 | Report 1999-03 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/apprenticeship-in-canadaa-training-system-under-siege/) [A Survey of Indicators of Economic and Social Well-being Andrew Sharpe July 1999 | Report 1999-cprn | 72 pages](https://csls.ca/research/a-survey-of-indicators-of-economic-and-social-well-being/) [Creating a More Efficient Labour Market Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2001 | Report 2001-02 | 147 pages](https://csls.ca/research/creating-a-more-efficient-labour-market/) [The Impact of the National Child Benefit Supplement on the Low Income Status of Canadian Families with Children: The SPSD/M Results Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) June 2002 | Report 2002-01 | 59 pages](https://csls.ca/research/the-impact-of-the-national-child-benefit-supplement-on-the-low-income-status-of-canadian-families-with-children-the-spsd-m-results/) [Raising Canadian Living Standards: A Framework for Discussion Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) October 2002 | Report 2002-td | 56 pages](https://csls.ca/research/raising-canadian-living-standards-a-framework-for-discussion/) [Productivity Trends in Natural Resources Industries in Canada Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-01a | 69 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-trends-in-natural-resources-industries-in-canada/) [Productivity in the Forest Products Sector: A Review of the Literature Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) February 2003 | Report 2003-02 | 28 pages](https://csls.ca/research/productivity-in-the-forest-products-sector-a-review-of-the-literature/) ## Abstract ## Résumé EN FR Copy link Email LinkedIn This report presents new estimates of the Index of Economic Well-being (IEWB) and its four domains (consumption flows, stocks of wealth, economic equality, and economic security) for 14 OECD countries for the 1980-2009 period. It finds that in 2009 Norway had the highest level of economic well-being and Spain the lowest. Canada ranked ninth among the fourteen countries. Over the 1980-2009 period Denmark enjoyed the most rapid increase in economic well-being, and the Netherlands the slowest. In all 14 countries rate of advance of the IEWB was less than that of GDP per capita. Economic well-being, therefore, has not advanced as rapidly as GDP per capita. Ce rapport présente de nouvelles estimations de l’Indice de bien-être économique (IBEE) et de ses quatre domaines (flux de consommation, stocks de richesse, égalité économique et sécurité économique) pour 14 pays de l’OCDE pour la période 1980-2009. Il révèle qu’en 2009, la Norvège affichait le niveau de bien-être économique le plus élevé et l’Espagne, le plus faible. Le Canada s’est classé neuvième parmi les quatorze pays. Au cours de la période 1980-2009, le Danemark a connu la progression la plus rapide du bien-être économique, et les Pays-Bas, la plus lente. Dans les quatorze pays, le taux de progression de l’IBEE était inférieur à celui du PIB par habitant. Le bien-être économique n’a donc pas progressé aussi rapidement que le PIB par habitant. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2011-12-1.pdf)