Moving Beyond GDP Through Comprehensive Wealth

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the use of "comprehensive wealth"—a measure of natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital—to complement GDP in measuring national progress and guiding decision-making for long-term well-being. The report analyzes data from 1995 to 2020 for Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago to demonstrate insights into development paths that are not apparent through GDP alone.

• In Trinidad and Tobago, an overreliance on fossil fuels caused comprehensive wealth to decline steadily between 2008 and 2020, which contributed to a significant decrease in the country's well-being starting in 2013.
• Indonesia experienced a trend contrary to expectations, producing less well-being per unit of wealth in 2020 compared to its levels in 1995.
• To improve wealth growth, Ethiopia is advised to shift its produced capital investments from the manufacturing sector toward modern farming equipment and methods.
• Comprehensive wealth is presented as a robust and concise alternative to GDP that measures the portfolio of assets enabling income, specifically natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital.

APA

Tilahun,, L. B. H. S. S. B. (2024). Moving Beyond GDP Through Comprehensive Wealth. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp

Chicago

Tilahun,, Livia Bizikova,Alin Halimatussadiah,Robert Smith,Godfrey St. Bernard,Mesfin. Moving Beyond GDP Through Comprehensive Wealth. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tilahun, |first1=Livia Bizikova,Alin Halimatussadiah,Robert Smith,Godfrey St. Bernard,Mesfin |title=Moving Beyond GDP Through Comprehensive Wealth |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=17 May 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tilahun2024moving, author = {Tilahun,, Livia Bizikova,Alin Halimatussadiah,Robert Smith,Godfrey St. Bernard,Mesfin}, title = {{Moving Beyond GDP Through Comprehensive Wealth}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }