Measuring Social Progress

Numerous studies have found a high correlation between economic growth and a wide variety of social indicators, yet there is growing awareness that economic measures alone do not fully capture social progress. In April 2013, the Social Progress Imperative launched its first research product, the Social Progress Index, at the 10th annual Skoll World Forum, held at the University of Oxford. More than two years in development, the index will measure the extent to which countries provide for the non-economic needs of their citizens.

Social progress is defined as the capacity of a society to meet the basic human needs of its citizens, establish the building blocks that allow citizens and communities to enhance and sustain the quality of their lives, and create the conditions for all individuals to reach their full potential.