Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697800521700.pdf (Liberia)
September 2019 Indicators for Measuring Well-being Government of Iceland Prime Minister’s Office Proposed Well-being indicators for Iceland SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT Health Life expectancy • • Healthy life years • Unmet need for healthcare • Mental health Education Level of education • • Dropout from Social capital Security Work-life balance • • • • • • • secondary school Lifelong learning Voter turnout Social support Formal volunteer activities Trust in others Trust in political system Feeling safe after dark • Crime victimization Long working hours • • Working during unsocial hours • Multiple jobs Air Quality and Climate • Particulate matter Land Use • Greenhouse gas emissions • • Progress in land reclamation Protected areas Energy • Ratio of renewable energy in total energy consumption Waste and Recycling • Quantity of municipal solid waste • Recycling rate of municipal solid waste ECONOMY Economic conditions Inflation Purchasing power • GDP and economic growth • • • Household debt • Public sector, private sector and household dept Employment Employment rate • • Unemployment • Not in education, employment or training (NEET) Job satisfaction • Housing Incomes • Housing cost overburden • Quality of housing • • At risk of poverty Persistent poverty • Material and social deprivation Equality (Gini-index) • Indicators for Well-being in Iceland and links to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Proposal by the Prime Minister’s Committee on Indicators for measuring Well-being Society Health • Life expectancy • Healthy life years • Unmet need for healthcare • Mental health UN Sustainable Development Goals SDG targets SDG3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 3.4 SDG3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 3.4 SDG3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 3.8 SDG3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 3.4 Education • Level of education SDG4: Quality Education SDG 4.1, SDG 4.5 Social capital Security Work-life balance • Dropout from secondary school • Lifelong education • • • • • • Voter turnout Social support Formal volunteer activities Trust in
 others Trust in political system Feeling safe after dark SDG4: Quality Education SDG 4.3 SDG4: Quality Education SDG 4.4 SDG16: Peace and Justice SDG 16.6 SDG3: Good Health and Well-being SDG10: Reduced Inequalty SDG 10.2 SDG16: Peace and Justice SDG16: Peace and Justice SDG 16.6, SDG 16.7, SDG 16.10 SDG16: Peace and Justice SDG 16.1 • Crime victimization SDG16: Peace and Justice SDG 6.1 • Long working hours SDG5: Gender Equality SDG 5.4 • Working during unsocial hours • Multiple jobs SDG5: Gender Equality SDG5: Gender Equality SDG 5.4 SDG 5.4 Economy Economic conditions • • • GDP and economic growth SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 8.1 UN Sustainable Development Goals SDG targets Inflation Purchasing power • Household debt • Public sector, private sector and household dept SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 8.1 SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth Employment • Employment rates SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 8.5 Housing Incomes • Unemployment • Not in education, employment or training (NEET) • Job satisfaction • Housing cost overburden • Quality of housing • • At risk of poverty Persistent poverty • Material and social deprivation • Equality (Gini-index) Environment Air Quality and Climate • Particulate matter Land Use • Greenhouse gas emissions • • Progress in land reclamation Protected areas Energy • Ratio of renewable energy in total energy consumption Waste and Recycling • Quantity of municipal solid waste • Recycling rate of municipal solid waste SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 8.5 SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 8.6 SDG8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG 11.1 SDG 11.1 SDG1: No Poverty, SDG10 Reduced Inequality SDG 1.2, SDG 10.1 SDG1: No Poverty SDG1: No Poverty SDG 1.2 SDG 1.2 SDG10: Reduced Inequality SDG 10.1, SDG 10.3 SDG11: Sustainable Cities and
 Communities SDG13: Sustainable Cities and Communities SDG 11.6 SDG 13.2 SDG15: Life on Land SDG15: Life on Land SDG 15.1, SDG 15.2, SDG 15.3 SDG 15.4, SDG 15.9 SDG7: Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 7.2, SDG 7.3 SDG6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production SDG11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production SDG 6.3, SDG 12.3 SDG 11.6, SDG 12.5 Indicators for Measuring Well-being A summary of the Committee’s report economic factors such as GDP or economic growth is not sufficient.
Other T o examine the prosperity and quality of life of nations, looking solely at aspects such as health, housing, employment, education, income, air and water factors of major significance for people’s daily lives also need to be included, quality, to name a few.

This makes it important to compile measurements that give a good overview and can serve as the basis for an assessment of the real prosperity and quality of life in Iceland.
Many states and international organizations have compiled collections of indicators of prosperity and quality of life which are intended to look at the broader picture and inform government policy formulation.

However, they do not provide a detailed description of all aspects of well-being.

Developing such indicators is a step towards ensuring a common understanding of what factors make our lives better.

Iceland participates in international efforts to develop suitable indicators.
According to a survey commissioned by the committee, the general public in Iceland views health (i.e.

good health and access to healthcare) to be the most significant factor in quality of life.

This was followed by relationships (i.e.

with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues), housing (secure housing, cost of housing, supply of housing) and making a living (income and assets).
The committee’s proposal includes three categories of indicators to measure the prosperity and quality of life of Icelanders: 1. social, 2. economic and 3. environmental.

The main headings and sub-categories include a total of 39 indicators.

When changes in these indicators were viewed over the past five years, it turned out that 19 indicators had developed in a positive direction, 6 had remained constant and 7 showed a negative development.
For another 7 indicators, measurements were only available for one year, making it important to increase the frequency of measurements.

It must be borne in mind that caution is needed in comparing all such measurements between different periods.

For example, it may be positive for economic growth to slow down after a major expansion period.
Lack of information on the environmental factors, on the one hand, and a lack of measurements directed at social capital and the work-life balance, on the other hand, make it difficult to choose indicators for prosperity and quality of life.

It is important to support systematic data collection and dissemination of information in these areas.
Various international organizations and agencies have compiled a set of composite indicators that weigh together various aspects of welfare to produce a single outcome.

States are then ranked by their score in this composite assessment.

Measurements by some states, including the proposals of this committee, do not follow the route of weighing together different indicators to reach a single outcome but are aimed instead at producing an overall picture which can be used for policy formulation.
The committee expects the government to examine these indicators with a view to how they can best be used in policy making in the various state functions.

The committee proposes that Statistics Iceland be entrusted with keeping track of the indicators on prosperity and quality of life, as they fit well with other similar work carried out by the agency, such as social indicators and measurements for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The indicators are also for the most part based on Statistics Iceland’s data.

The proposal is to have Statistics Iceland handle the gathering of data, decide on the dissemination of the indicators and assess possible breakdown of the data.

Statistics Iceland should also be entrusted with further developing these indicators in collaboration with the key stakeholders.

In summary, the committee’s proposals are four: 1.

39 indicators of prosperity and quality of life are presented for further discussion.
2.

Efforts should be directed at rectifying the lack of statistical data on environmental issues and social capital.

3.

The government should decide on how it intends to use the indicators for policy-making.

4.

Statistics Iceland will be entrusted with keeping track of the indicators, as this is compatible with other work by the agency, such as social indicators and measurements for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.