The state and fate of nations: Implications of subjective measures of personal and social quality of life

The equation of 'more' with 'better' - of standard of living with quality o f life - is at the heart of a growing international debate about indicators of progress. At one level, the debate is about the adequacy of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as the dominant indicator of national performance. Howeve r, the debate also reaches far beyond this question to challenge convention al thinking about progress. Quality of life includes both objective and sub jective elements, so indicators of progress should include measures of how people feel about their lives. Drawing mainly on Australian data - but also on US and international studies - this analysis examines and differentiate s between subjective measures of personal and social quality of life, and d iscusses their use in evaluating whether life is getting better - or worse.