How do we measure wellbeing? Rethinking the Human Development Index

This paper reflects a growing consensus that existing development metrics, while influential, no longer capture the full picture of human wellbeing. The HDI has played a pivotal role in shifting the global development narrative beyond income. With evolving social, environmental and technological contexts and progress in our conceptual understanding of wellbeing, does the HDI continue to serve its purpose including in addressing urgent, interconnected challenges such as climate risk, social fragmentation, and structural inequality?

Through interviews and consultations with global experts across disciplines, the paper highlights opportunities to revise the HDI and develop complementary indices. Recommendations include integrating subjective wellbeing, improving disaggregation, and exploring new dimensions such as environmental sustainability and agency.

There seems to be a broad agreement that the HDI continues to have value as a measure and there are options to build on its foundations to construct a more inclusive, nuanced and future-oriented measurement framework.

How do we measure wellbeing? Rethinking the Human Development Index. International Science Council

DOI: 10.24948/2025.08

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Funding acknowledgement: UNDP Human Development Report Office