Yes we have discussed quality of life before on OTP …. and I think we all agree that GDP is not a great measurement. So welcome to the Canadian Well-being Index !?
The Canadian Well-being Index, led by researchers at the University of Waterloo, shows that quality of life in Canada deteriorated by 24 per cent between the onset of recession in 2008 and 2010.
Researchers have spent years devising a methodology and compiling data to put together the index, which is meant to serve as an improvement over GDP as a measure of how well Canadians are faring.
“GDP tells us nothing about our people, our environment, our democracy, or other aspects of life that matter to Canadians,” Romanow and board co-chairwoman Monique Begin state in the introduction to the report.
The trends are worrisome, Romanow said, because even though there are bright spots in some areas, the index reveals long-term declines in environment and leisure time, as well as a sharp, sudden drop in living standards.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/23/well-being-index-canadians.html
Here is the actual research site.
The Canadian Index of Wellbeing is a Canadian made innovation that is two things: an idea and a tool.
First and foremost, the CIW is a big idea. It is an idea that regards wellbeing as encompassing a wide variety of aspects of life, beyond economic measures like Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is a conceptual framework drawing on a broad spectrum of domains of life that has the potential to create an ongoing national dialogue that will influence how Canadians think, feel, and act with regard to their wellbeing and the wellbeing of their communities.
Second, the CIW is a tool that is measuring what matters to Canadians. It tracks wellbeing from year to year in an effort to offer clear, effective, and regular information on the quality of life of all Canadians. It is already providing unique insights into the quality of life of Canadians – overall, and in specific areas that matter: our standard of living, our health, the quality of our environment, our education and skill levels, the way we use our time, the vitality of our communities, our participation in the democratic process, and the state of our leisure and culture. The combination is powerful. It is more than just a number. The CIW reflects real life.
https://uwaterloo.ca/canadian-index-wellbeing/
Not sure what to make of it all ?! However it is an interesting read.
