COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH REPORT

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national success because it ignores the depletion of assets and non-market well-being. By analyzing data from 1995 to 2020 for Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the study demonstrates that comprehensive wealth (CW)—which includes natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital—reveals critical sustainability trends invisible to GDP. Key findings include the unsustainable depletion of fossil fuel assets in Trinidad and Tobago, the inefficient management of natural capital in Indonesia, and the critical need for increased agricultural productivity and wealth accumulation in Ethiopia.

• In Trinidad and Tobago, an overreliance on fossil fuels led to a steady decline in comprehensive wealth from 2008 to 2020, which served as a leading indicator for a subsequent drop in market income (GDP) starting in 2013.
• Indonesia's comprehensive wealth nearly tripled between 1995 and 2020, but the country's ability to generate income from that wealth decreased, suggesting inefficient asset management, particularly regarding natural capital like commercial timber.
• Ethiopia significantly increased its comprehensive wealth between 1995 and 2020, yet its overall wealth levels remain very low—approximately one tenth of those in Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago—and are heavily concentrated in low-productivity traditional agriculture.
• The study confirms that most data required to compile comprehensive wealth measures are available through national statistical agencies and central banks, making the approach feasible for governments to implement.
• Preliminary analysis of non-market wealth indicates that climate indicators in the studied countries are consistent with expected climate change impacts, and ecosystem extent shows increasing pressure from human population growth.

APA

Tilahun, M., Zoundi, Z., Bizikova, L., Smith, R., & Bernard, G. S. (2024). COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH REPORT. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp.pdf

Chicago

Tilahun, Mesfin, Zakaria Zoundi, Livia Bizikova, Robert Smith, and Godfrey St. Bernard. COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH REPORT. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2024. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tilahun |first1=Mesfin |last2=Zoundi |first2=Zakaria |last3=Bizikova |first3=Livia |last4=Smith |first4=Robert |last5=Bernard |first5=Godfrey St. |title=COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH REPORT |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2024 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tilahun2024comprehensive, author = {Tilahun, Mesfin and Zoundi, Zakaria and Bizikova, Livia and Smith, Robert and Bernard, Godfrey St.}, title = {{COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH REPORT}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2024-05/comprehensive-wealth-moving-beyond-gdp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }