Counting What Counts: A Compass of Progress for People and Planet

The United Nations published “Counting What Counts: A Compass of Progress for People and Planet” in 2026. It is the product of an independent High‑Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP, co‑chaired by Carol Graham and including eminent economists and statisticians such as Nora Lustig, Kaushik Basu, Enrico Giovannini and Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz. The Group was created in May 2025 at the request of Member States to develop a set of universally applicable indicators that complement traditional gross domestic product (GDP) measures.

The report proposes a dashboard of 31 indicators organised around four pillars: foundational principles (peace, human rights, planetary respect), current well‑being (material conditions, health, education, security, subjective well‑being, social cohesion, institutional quality, environmental quality), equity and inclusion (inequality, poverty, overlapping deprivations) and sustainability and resilience (produced, human, social, institutional and natural capital). Close to half of these indicators are drawn directly from the Sustainable Development Goals, meaning most countries already collect the necessary data. The authors stress that GDP growth has co‑existed with rising inequality, environmental degradation and declining public trust.

Across the world, the report shows that while median GDP per capita has risen between 2000 and 2020, health outcomes such as healthy life expectancy have stagnated in regions like Northern America and biodiversity loss continues in Eastern Africa despite economic growth. These trends illustrate the disconnect between rising economic output and improvements in people’s lived experiences.

The Group calls on governments to publish national progress dashboards based on the proposed framework, integrate them into budgeting, planning and accountability processes, and strengthen statistical infrastructures. It also urges the UN statistical system to maintain and refine the indicator set, provide methodological guidance and accelerate work on frontier areas such as wealth accounting and cross‑border spillovers.

Beyond national action, the report outlines a coordinated international effort: an annual global Beyond GDP progress report, financial and technical support mechanisms, and a clear mandate for the UN Statistical Commission to lead methodological development. Academia, NGOs, the private sector and media are encouraged to innovate measurement, generate citizen‑sourced data and communicate findings to the public.

For a pan‑European audience focused on sustainable housing, the dashboard’s indicators on material conditions, energy use, environmental quality and social cohesion are directly relevant. The report highlights that sustainable housing contributes to reduced carbon emissions, improved health outcomes and greater equity, aligning with the broader sustainability pillar. By adopting the recommended metrics, European policymakers can track the impact of housing policies on both planetary health and social well‑being, ensuring that housing development supports the United Nations’ vision of equitable, inclusive and resilient progress.