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Incorporating Sustainability Concerns in the Better Life Index: Application of Corrected Convex Non-parametric Least Squares Method

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  • Hideyuki Mizobuchi

    (Ryukoku University)

Abstract

The OECD recently released a comprehensive set of 11 well-being indicators, the so-called Better Life Index (BLI), for 36 countries. The BLI covers a wide range of socio-economic aspects of life, which are essential to well-being. This well-being dataset allows us to compare countries’ overall well-being. However, in spite of the BLI’s wider coverage of variables, it fails to consider sustainability concerns. This study provides a practical proposal for comparing overall well-being by incorporating sustainability concerns. Using the World Bank’s adjusted net savings data as a sustainability indicator, we add an extra dimension to the BLI. Then, we apply a composite indicator and aggregate these 12 indicators for each country into a single number. Moreover, we improve the current method for constructing composite indicators by adopting corrected convex non-parametric least squares (C2NLS). It is a typical problem in a non-parametric approach based on linear programming for countries’ scores of composite indicators to become equal and their performance cannot be distinguished. This becomes even more severe if the number of sample countries is small or the number of aggregated indicators is large, which is the case of the present study dealing with 12 indicators for 36 countries. The use of C2NLS, which is based on quadratic programming, overcomes this problem and allows us to order all countries in the sample completely. The empirical results show that the introduction of a sustainability indicator for comparisons does not change countries’ overall rankings significantly. However, it certainly changes the ranking of some countries in both directions.

Suggested Citation

  • Hideyuki Mizobuchi, 2017. "Incorporating Sustainability Concerns in the Better Life Index: Application of Corrected Convex Non-parametric Least Squares Method," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 131(3), pages 947-971, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:131:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1282-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1282-9
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    1. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2018. "OECD: One or Many? Ranking Countries with a Composite Well-Being Indicator," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(3), pages 847-869, October.
    2. Eni Dardha & Nicky Rogge, 2020. "How's Life in Your Region? Measuring Regional Material Living Conditions, Quality of Life and Subjective Well-Being in OECD Countries Using a Robust, Conditional Benefit-of-the-Doubt Model," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 151(3), pages 1015-1073, October.
    3. Peiró-Palomino, Jesús & Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés J. & Tortosa-Ausina, Emili, 2021. "Measuring well-being in Colombian departments. The role of geography and demography," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    4. Jose Manuel Cordero & Cristina Polo & Javier Salinas-Jiménez, 2021. "Subjective Well-Being and Heterogeneous Contexts: A Cross-National Study Using Semi-Nonparametric Frontier Methods," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 867-886, February.
    5. Jesús Peiró‐Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo‐Tadeo & Vicente Rios, 2020. "Well‐being in European regions: Does government quality matter?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 99(3), pages 555-582, June.
    6. Koronakos, Gregory & Smirlis, Yiannis & Sotiros, Dimitris & Despotis, Dimitris K., 2020. "Assessment of OECD Better Life Index by incorporating public opinion," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    7. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo & Vicente Rios, 2020. "Social Progress Around the World: Measurement, Evolution and Convergence," Working Papers 2006, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    8. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2018. "Assessing well-being in European regions. Does government quality matter?," Working Papers 2018/06, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    9. Jordi Paniagua & Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo, 2021. "Asylum Migration in OECD Countries: In Search of Lost Well-Being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 1109-1137, February.
    10. Jesús Peiró-Palomino & Andrés J. Picazo-Tadeo & Emili Tortosa-Ausina, 2020. "The Geography of Well-being in Colombia," Working Papers 2020/03, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    11. Víctor-Raúl López-Ruiz & José-Luis Alfaro-Navarro & Domingo Nevado-Peña, 2019. "An Intellectual Capital Approach to Citizens’ Quality of Life in Sustainable Cities: A Focus on Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-16, October.

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