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While there is a correlation between economic growth and the increase in living standards, economic theory is evident in the purpose of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measurement. GDP measures only the production capacity and economic growth, not the nation's development, as often claimed by policymakers. Furthermore, as several studies show, by focusing on economic growth and neglecting the other two crucial systems, the ecosystem, and the social system, we will not be able to achieve economic growth in the future. Since the GDP was developed in 1937, it has faced criticism not only for its limitation related to its construction. Also, the concept of economic growth is currently being challenged and being replaced by the pursuit of sustainable development. Therefore, the role of GDP, as an economic growth indicator, in our economy needs to be clarified and re-assessed. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the usefulness of the GDP in the era of sustainable development. To achieve this, we investigated the historical development of various measures of economic growth, as well as the historical development of the GDP as an economic growth metric. Furthermore, we argue that the future of GDP should be in the multi-dimensional indicators, which are used to measure the sustainable development of a country, as opposed to a self-standing single-dimensional measure of economic growth. As a case study, we also construct two measures, based on Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) using the free online software 'SuperDecisions: our Simple three-dimensional index of the nation's growth and the enhanced holistic three-dimensional index - Holistic Nation's Growth Index. Using the AHP method, we showcase the difference between the countries' rankings if we consider only economic growth and if we focus on the country's development more holistically. Our comparative study reveals that it is not enough to look only at three main systems, the economic, social, and ecosystem while assessing the countries' development. It is necessary to also investigate and try to capture the relationships between those three main systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory and practice suggest that entrepreneurship is the engine of economic growth. The speed with which a nation moves from economic growth to economic development depends on the performance of entrepreneurial initiatives. Given the role played by entrepreneurship for the development of an economy, increasing its performance can help the development of national markets and the increase in national competitiveness. The main objective of our paper is to investigate the link between entrepreneurial performance and economic development of countries. The research was carried out on a sample of 27 European Union countries in a period of twelve years. We used panel data regression models. As dependent variables for expressing the economic development, we considered the global competitiveness index and the gross domestic product per capita growth. As independent variables, we used a set of indicators measuring entrepreneurial performance. Our findings highlight the significant role played by increased entrepreneurial performance for enhancing the economic development of EU countries. We also find that some indicators expressing entrepreneurial performance might have different effects on the economy depending on the stage of economic development of countries. Our research provides empirical evidence regarding the need for performant entrepreneurial activities for enhancing economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Existing research suggests a link between a country's infrastructure quality and its economic performance. However, no country can invest in all types of infrastructure across the country. Therefore, it is critical to identify and assess multiple indicators of infrastructure for regions within a country and focus on improving infrastructure as identified by the weak indicators. Research investigating the determinants of regional wealth and economic growth is limited. In this comprehensive research including all 35 regions in Austria, we began by evaluating the relationship between logistics-related infrastructure and regional gross domestic product. In the process, other indicators, and mediators such as knowledge infrastructure, business attractiveness emerged as impacting gross domestic product. The findings help to better understand the relative importance of diverse logistics indicators influencing regional economic development and provide insights for policy decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were global and led to an economic decline in most countries of the EU. The development and values of economic indicators varied from country to country and showed significant regional differences. The study evaluates the coverage of selected economic indicators in the Member States of the EU in the period 2010–2020. The analytical part is based on empirical statistical data. As a methodological procedure for testing the convergence of the EU, we compared the results of the coefficient of variation of GDP per capita in PPP and the unemployment rate. The findings of this study confirm the predicted development trends. The pandemic has reversed major convergence trends. Divergence within the EU was affected by a lower decline in GDP in the developed countries of the EU. The tendencies of social disparities in the unemployment rate were different from the development of the coefficient of variation of GDP per capita. The first year of the pandemic marked a decline in disparities between the countries of the EU. For future research, we recommend monitoring the development of convergence in the next pandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The war affects the socio-economic state of Ukraine and is the cause of the deterioration of the economic situation of neighboring countries. Under such conditions, there is a need to carry out assessments of economic losses from the conduct of military operations and forecast the main economic indicators for the nearest period, taking into account the impact of the war. The purpose of the study is to calculate the losses to the economy, the destruction of residential facilities and critical infrastructure facilities in the first 100 days of the war, the assessment of the potential volume of the fall in GDP and the calculation of projected fiscal losses. The calculation of GDP reduction was based on the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the Government of Ukraine. The expected amount of GDP reduction is calculated using the GAP-analysis method, based on the forecasts made by these institutions in the prewar period, and the calculation of the level of GDP during the war. Based on the results of the conducted research, it was established that the economic losses from the war consist not only of the losses incurred and the reduction of GDP volumes, but also of the lost opportunities for development and unearned profits. In addition to the reduction in GDP, Ukraine's losses are manifested in the increase in the level of public debt, the depreciation of the national currency, the reduction of gold and currency reserves, and the outflow of foreign direct investments3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]