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In the last 2 decades, there has been a remarkable proliferation of indices of well-being which assess and rank country performance according to a diverse range of environmental, political, health, social or economic measures. This growth is a clear sign of their political importance, popular appeal and operational relevance in decision-making. This article discusses questions about the validity and scope of summary indices of well-being, as well as explores the relevance of country rankings. Acknowledging that these measures are imperfect, but that they may be the best measures we have, this article discusses how these composite indicators can be improved and how policy-makers should be using them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing global movement to re-define progress beyond gross domestic product (GDP) and develop new measures of equitable and sustainable well-being. GDP's shortcomings as the chief measure of societal progress have been clearly exposed, but it is still widely used in this role, with increasingly adverse consequences. This article examines the lessons from this global movement and the technical and democratic requirements for developing new national progress measures. It focuses on a new Australian project, the Australian National Development Index, which will develop a composite index of national progress and key progress 'domains' through a national community engagement process supported by a cross-disciplinary research program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]