Beyond GDP: What multidimensional measures of poverty and well-being add to dashboards and composite indices

Momentum is gathering on the implementation of commitments made by the international community to build a measurement framework that respects and accurately reflects the ambitions of sustainable development, going beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—“Beyond GDP”. This paper proposes eight criteria by which to assess some component indicators in the Beyond GDP framework. Applying these criteria, this paper proposes that the Beyond GDP framework includes a small suite of multidimensional measures based on the counting tradition for measuring acute poverty, moderate poverty, and well-being. This paper proposes using the existing Global Multidimensional Poverty Index for a global comparison for developing countries; a new Global Moderate Multidimensional Poverty Index that assesses multidimensional poverty in groups or countries at higher levels of human development; National Multidimensional Poverty Indices, extended to all countries according to their definitions of poverty; and finally a Multidimensional Well-Being Index trialled and developed for national contexts, rolled out across more countries, with a globally comparable Multidimensional Well-being Index (MWI) developed over time.

Citation: Alkire, S., Evans, M. and Foster, J. (2025). ‘Beyond GDP: What multidimensional measures of poverty and well-being add to dashboards and composite indices’, United Nations Committee for Development Policy Background Paper No. 60.