A comprehensive Beyond-GDP database to accelerate wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability research

Area of Science:

• * Social Sciences, Environmental Science, Economics, and Data Science.

Background:

• * Traditional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) metrics are insufficient for holistic societal progress assessment.
• * Existing Beyond-GDP metrics are fragmented across disparate databases, limiting accessibility and interdisciplinary research.
• * A unified, comprehensive resource is needed to consolidate these crucial indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To introduce the WISE database, the first extensive collection of Beyond-GDP metrics.
• * To organize these metrics across Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Sustainability dimensions.
• * To enhance data accessibility and facilitate interdisciplinary research on societal progress.

Main Methods:

• * Consolidated data from international institutions and academic publications.
• * Compiled over one million data points across 244 Beyond-GDP metrics.
• * Included data for 218 countries and 61 country groupings, spanning from the 19th century to 2015.
• * Developed a user-friendly online visualization tool for data interpretation.

Main Results:

• * Created the WISE database, a novel and extensive collection of Beyond-GDP metrics.
• * Organized metrics into Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Sustainability dimensions.
• * Provided a comprehensive dataset with rich metadata, covering a wide range of countries and time periods.
• * Launched an integrated visualization tool to enhance data accessibility and interpretation.

Conclusions:

• * The WISE database offers a centralized and accessible resource for Beyond-GDP metrics.
• * It facilitates a broader understanding of societal progress beyond economic indicators.
• * The database and its tools support interdisciplinary research on the synergies and trade-offs between wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability.