Perceived inclusive growth as lived experience: Development and initial validation of an individual-level measure

Inclusive growth is typically assessed through macro- and meso-level indicators, offering limited evidence on how individuals evaluate the accessibility and fairness of development-related opportunities, services, protections, and institutions. This study develops and initially validates an individual-level measure of perceived inclusive-growth progress in Pakistan. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design integrated literature-derived content with qualitative evidence from eight focus groups involving 64 participants and four individual interviews. Following expert assessment and pilot testing with 186 respondents, the instrument was validated in a purposive sample of 1034 participants. Factor analysis supported a 14-item, three-dimensional structure comprising Social Equity, Economic Inclusion, and Institutional Sustainability. The dimensions demonstrated satisfactory reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, and the three-factor model outperformed alternative one- and two-factor specifications. In the higher-order formative model, Social Equity and Institutional Sustainability made larger conditional contributions to the IGADB composite than Economic Inclusion. These weights describe the composition of the estimated construct and do not indicate causal influences. Theoretically consistent, unadjusted cross-sectional associations with Financial Inclusion, Environmental Quality, and Subjective Well-being provided preliminary evidence of nomological coherence. IGADB adds an experiential measurement layer to established inclusive-growth indicators and may support context-specific diagnosis when interpreted alongside objective evidence.