--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-selected-oecd-countries-1980-2007/" title: "New Estimates of the Index of Economic Well-being for Selected OECD Countries, 1980-2007" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-02T13:32:53+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-02T13:32:53+00:00" post_type: "research" summary: "" post_tag: - "Canada" - "Denmark" - "economic well-being" - "GDP" - "IEWB" - "Index of Economic Well-Being" - "international comparison" - "Norway" - "OECD" 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" --- # New Estimates of the Index of Economic Well-being for Selected OECD Countries, 1980-2007 Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-selected-oecd-countries-1980-2007/ # New Estimates of the Index of Economic Well-being for Selected OECD Countries, 1980-2007 [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2009-11-1.pdf) Cite this report × Cite this report as: Osberg, Lars, and Andrew Sharpe. 2009. “New Estimates of the Index of Economic Well-being for Selected OECD Countries, 1980-2007.” CSLS Research Report 2009-11. Ottawa: Centre for the Study of Living Standards. https://csls.ca/research/new-estimates-of-the-index-of-economic-well-being-for-selected-oecd-countries-1980-2007/ ## Authors: - Lars Osberg Department of Economics, Dalhousie University - Andrew Sharpe Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS) ## Report 2009-11 December 2009 106 pages ## Related research [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/) [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/) [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 1980-2007 period. It finds that in 2007 Norway had the highest level of economic well-being and Spain the lowest. Canada ranked ninth among the fourteen countries. Over the 1980-2007 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. The IEWB addresses most of the recommendations of the recently released report from the Commission for the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (the Stiglitz report) on what aspects of economic reality an index of economic well-being should capture. 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 1980-2007. Il révèle qu’en 2007, 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 1980-2007, 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. L’IBEE répond à la plupart des recommandations du rapport récemment publié par la Commission sur la mesure des performances économiques et du progrès social (le rapport Stiglitz) sur les aspects de la réalité économique qu’un indice de bien-être économique devrait saisir. [Download full PDF report](https://csls.ca/pdf/csls2009-11-1.pdf)