1. The quest for wellbeing and sustainability
How far to the good life?  1
Why new indices?    2
The Wellbeing Assessment difference  2
Guide to this book   4
2. Human wellbeing
Human Wellbeing Index     13
MEASURING HUMAN WELLBEING 13 * FEW NATIONS WELL, MANY UNWELL 14 �
THE EQUITY EFFECT 16 * IT'S THE ECONOMY, AND IT'S NOT 17 * HOW FAR
FROM HAVING NOTHING-OR HOW CLOSE TO HAVING IT ALL? 17
Health and population   20
HEALTH 21 * POPULATION 23
Wealth    25
HOUSEHOLD WEALTH 26 * NATIONAL WEALTH 31
Knowledge and culture   36
Community      41
FREEDOM AND GOVERNANCE 42 * PEACE AND ORDER 45
Equity    49
HOUSEHOLD EQUITY 50 * GENDER EQUITY 51
3. Ecosystem wellbeing
Ecosystem Wellbeing Index   59
MEASURING ECOSYSTEM WELLBEING 59 * MOST OF THE PLANET IS POOR OR
MEDIOCRE 61 * THE RESOURCE USE EFFECT 63 * BIODIVERSITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 64 * THE SIZE OF THE FOOT-OR WHERE IT'S PUT? 65




Land    67
LAND DIVERSITY 68 * LAND QUALITY 72
Water    74
Air   80
GLOBAL ATMOSPHERE 81 * LOCAL AIR QUALITY 84
Species and genes  86
WILD DIVERSITY 87 * DOMESTICATED DIVERSITY 91
Resource use   94
ENERGY AND MATERIALS 95 * RESOURCE SECTORS 96
4. Combining human and ecosystem wellbeing
Distances to sustainability  107
WELLBEING INDEX 107 * WELLBEING/STRESS INDEX 109 * WELLBEING
PERFORMANCE GROUPS 111 * HUMAN WELLBEING AND ECOSYSTEM STRESS: SIGT
OF A WAY FORWARD 112
Regional reviews  115
NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA 116 * WEST INDIES 118 * SOUTH AMERIC
120 * NORTHERN AFRICA 122 * WEST AFRICA 124 * CENTRAL AND EAST
AFRICA 126 * SOUTHERN AFRICA 128 * NORTHERN EUROPE 130 �
SOUTHERN EUROPE 132 * EASTERN EUROPE 134 * WEST ASIA 136 * RL
AND CENTRAL AND EAST ASIA 138 * SOUTHERN ASIA 140 * PACIFIC 142
Aiming for human and ecosystem wellbeing   144
COMMITMENT TO HUMAN AND ECOSYSTEM WELLBEING 144 * REGULAR WELLBI
ASSESSMENTS 144 * INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION ON HUMAN AND
ECOSYSTEM WELLBEING  145 * SUSTAINABLE WEALTH  146 * WELLBEING ARE}
(SLOW ZONES) 147 * WELLBEING ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS  147
Data Tables
Table 1. Human Wellbeing Index    150
Table 2. Health and population  154
Table 3. Wealth index; household wealth  158
Table 4. National wealth  162
Table 5. Knowledge   166
Table 6. Community index; freedom and governance; peace  170
Table 7. Crime   174
Table 8. Equity  177
Table 9. Ecosystem Wellbeing Index  181
Table 10. Land index; basic data; native forest change  185
Table 11. Natural, modified, cultivated, and built land  189
Table 12. Land protection  194
Table 13. Land quality  198




Table 14. Water index; river conversion; water withdrawal  202
Table 15. Inland water quality: score, oxygen balance, nutrients, and
acidification  206
Table 16. Inland water quality: suspended solids, microbial pollution, and
arsenic and heavy metals  218
Table 17. Air index; global atmosphere  225
Table 18. Local air quality  229
Table 19. Species and genes index; wild species rank; wild plant
species  235
Table 20. Wild animal species; domesticated diversity  239
Table 21. Domesticated diversity (continued)  243
Table 22. Resource use index; energy; timber  247
Table 23. Agriculture; fish and seafood self-reliance  251
Table 24. Fisheries  255
Table 25. Wellbeing Index and Wellbeing/Stress Index  259
Table 26. Wellbeing performance groups  263
Table 27. Countries ranked by Wellbeing Index  267
Appendix A. Monetary and physical accounts            269
Counting money: the System of National Accounts  269
Wrong number: Gross Domestic Product   270
Better bookkeeping: "greening" the national accounts  271
Heavy lifting: physical accounts  274
Appendix B. Wellbeing Assessment 277
Scope and origins of Wellbeing Assessment  277
Framework: equal treatment of people and ecosystem  277
Six-stage cycle  279
STAGE 1. DEFINE THE SYSTEM AND GOALS 279 * STAGE 2. IDENTIFY ELEMENTS
AND OBJECTIVES 280 * STAGE 3. CHOOSE INDICATORS AND PERFORMANCE
CRITERIA 280 * STAGE 4. MEASURE AND MAP INDICATORS 284 * STAGE 5.
COMBINE INDICATORS AND MAP INDICES 287 * STAGE 6. REVIEW RESULTS AND
PROPOSE POLICIES 289
Supplement 1. Bellagio principles for assessing sustainable
development   289
Supplement 2. Background of the dimensions  290
Supplement 3. Assessment frameworks  291
Supplement 4. Common units for combining indicators  292




Supplement 5. Performance scales  292
Appendix C. Performance criteria chosen for The Wellbeing of
Nations    297
Appendix D. Summary of combining procedures used in The
Wellbeing of Nations 307
Appendix E. Map Maker Pro     313
Appendix E Initial classification of interior, coastal,
and ocean basins  315
References  325
Index  335