IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/bdi/opques/qef_1023_26.html

A "Beyond-GDP" approach to fair and sustainable well-being: integrating regional and gender perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • Michele Mariani

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Alessandro Pietropaoli

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Tommaso Rughi

    (University of Bologna)

Abstract

This paper investigates the complex nexus between multidimensional well-being and gender equality across Italian regions (2018-2023). We propose a dual analytical framework by constructing two distinct composite indicators from the Istat "equitable and sustainable well-being" (Benessere equo e sostenibile, BES) dataset: one measuring overall regional well-being and the other reflecting gender equality after disentangling it from achievement levels. Our analysis yields three key findings. First, we find structural asymmetry: well-being follows a clear North-South divide, while gender equality is geographically fragmented. Second, using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to analyse both phenomena, we identify five distinct regional groups, highlighting multiple development pathways. Third, a dynamic analysis shows that while well-being displays modest convergence, gender equality does not, indicating gender gaps are not self-correcting. This makes our dual approach essential for designing targeted, place-sensitive policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Michele Mariani & Alessandro Pietropaoli & Tommaso Rughi, 2026. "A "Beyond-GDP" approach to fair and sustainable well-being: integrating regional and gender perspectives," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 1023, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_1023_26
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2026-1023/QEF_1023_26.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sudhir Anand and Amartya Sen, 1995. "Gender Inequality in Human Development: Theories and Measurement," Human Development Occasional Papers (1992-2007) HDOCPA-1995-01, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    2. Leonardo S. Alaimo & Filomena Maggino, 2020. "Sustainable Development Goals Indicators at Territorial Level: Conceptual and Methodological Issues—The Italian Perspective," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 147(2), pages 383-419, January.
    3. Emanuele Felice, 2019. "The roots of a dual equilibrium: GDP, productivity, and structural change in the Italian regions in the long run (1871–2011)," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 23(4), pages 499-528.
    4. Henry Kaiser, 1970. "A second generation little jiffy," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 35(4), pages 401-415, December.
    5. Iñaki Permanyer, 2010. "Erratum to: The Measurement of Multidimensional Gender Inequality: Continuing the Debate," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 97(2), pages 297-297, June.
    6. Iñaki Permanyer, 2010. "The Measurement of Multidimensional Gender Inequality: Continuing the Debate," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 95(2), pages 181-198, January.
    7. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    8. Emanuele Felice & Michelangelo Vasta, 2015. "Passive modernization? The new human development index and its components in Italy's regions (1871–2007)," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 19(1), pages 44-66.
    9. Peter McDonald, 2013. "Societal foundations for explaining fertility: Gender equity," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(34), pages 981-994.
    10. Zhenci Xu & Sophia N. Chau & Xiuzhi Chen & Jian Zhang & Yingjie Li & Thomas Dietz & Jinyan Wang & Julie A. Winkler & Fan Fan & Baorong Huang & Shuxin Li & Shaohua Wu & Anna Herzberger & Ying Tang & De, 2020. "Assessing progress towards sustainable development over space and time," Nature, Nature, vol. 577(7788), pages 74-78, January.
    11. Bacchini Fabio & Baldazzi Barbara & De Carli Rita & Di Biagio Lorenzo & Savioli Miria & Sorvillo Maria Pia & Tinto Alessandra, 2021. "The Evolution of the Italian Framework to Measure Well-Being," Journal of Official Statistics, Sciendo, vol. 37(2), pages 317-339, June.
    12. Idiano D'Adamo & Cristina Di Carlo & Massimo Gastaldi & Antonio Felice Uricchio, 2024. "Equitable and sustainable well‐being indicators: A study of Italian regional disparities towards sustainable development," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 5538-5549, October.
    13. Stephan Klasen & Dana Sch�ler, 2011. "Reforming the Gender-Related Development Index and the Gender Empowerment Measure: Implementing Some Specific Proposals," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 1-30, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Satya R. Chakravarty & Nachiketa Chattopadhyay & Conchita D’Ambrosio, 2022. "An Axiomatic Approach to the Measurement of Comparative Female Disadvantage," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(2), pages 747-772, November.
    2. Araki, Satoshi & Olivos, Francisco, 2025. "Gender inequality, well-being, and ill-being: A macro analysis of human and societal flourishing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 366(C).
    3. Aggarwal, Bhavya & Chakraborty, Lekha S, 2015. "Towards 2030 UN Agenda on Sustainable Development Goals: Technical Challenges in Measuring the Gender Inequality for Asia Pacific," MPRA Paper 67049, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Gaëlle Ferrant, 2014. "The Multidimensional Gender Inequalities Index (MGII): A Descriptive Analysis of Gender Inequalities Using MCA," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 653-690, January.
    5. Julia Bock-Schappelwein & Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger & Thomas Horvath & Ulrike Huemer & Elisabeth Schappelwein, 2015. "Gleichstellungsindex Arbeitsmarkt. Eine Analyse des Geschlechterverhältnisses in Österreich," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 57841.
    6. Caitlin B. Schmid & Mark Elliot, 2023. "“Why Call It Equality?” Revisited: An Extended Critique of the EIGE Gender Equality Index," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 168(1), pages 389-408, August.
    7. Perrine Dehaspe & Nicky Rogge, 2023. "The gender-equal Union? Measuring female (dis)advantage and achievement in European Union Member States using a benefit-of-the-doubt framework," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 129-145, October.
    8. R. Ebrahimi & S. Choobchian & H. Farhadian & I. Goli & E. Farmandeh & H. Azadi, 2022. "Investigating the effect of vocational education and training on rural women’s empowerment," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Jeni Klugman & Francisco Rodríguez & Hyung-Jin Choi, 2011. "The HDI 2010: new controversies, old critiques," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 9(2), pages 249-288, June.
    10. Kui Zhou & Huiting Chen & Mohammed Ismail & Tingting Yang, 2025. "Assessment of Sustainable Development Levels, Country Disparities, and Dynamic Evolution Trends of ASEAN‐10 Countries," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(6), pages 8547-8568, December.
    11. Kimia Chenary & Omid Pirian Kalat & Ayyoob Sharifi, 2024. "Forecasting sustainable development goals scores by 2030 using machine learning models," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(6), pages 6520-6538, December.
    12. Camilla Salvatore & Silvia Biffignandi & Annamaria Bianchi, 2022. "Corporate Social Responsibility Activities Through Twitter: From Topic Model Analysis to Indexes Measuring Communication Characteristics," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1217-1248, December.
    13. Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia & Gabriele Cappelli, 2024. "Missing girls in Liberal Italy, 1861–1921," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 77(1), pages 185-211, February.
    14. Andre P. Audette & Sean Lam & Haley O’Connor & Benjamin Radcliff, 2019. "(E)Quality of Life: A Cross-National Analysis of the Effect of Gender Equality on Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(7), pages 2173-2188, October.
    15. Cuenca-García, Eduardo & Sánchez, Angeles & Navarro-Pabsdorf, Margarita, 2019. "Assessing the performance of the least developed countries in terms of the Millennium Development Goals," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 54-66.
    16. Wenwu Zhao & Caichun Yin & Ting Hua & Michael E. Meadows & Yan Li & Yanxu Liu & Francesco Cherubini & Paulo Pereira & Bojie Fu, 2022. "Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the post-pandemic era," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    17. C. Cascella & J. Williams & M. Pampaka, 2022. "An Extended Regional Gender Gaps Index (eRGGI): Comparative Measurement of Gender Equality at Different Levels of Regionality," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(2), pages 757-800, January.
    18. Esther López-Vizcaíno & Patricio Sanchez-Fernandez, 2025. "Monitoring the evolution of sustainable development goals in the European Union: a synthetic approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 7973-8001, March.
    19. Jingru Liu & Haotong Wu & Xin Tian & Heming Wang & Yinglei Wu, 2022. "Materials footprint of household consumption in China," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1504-1513, August.
    20. Francesco Maria Chelli & Barbara Ermini & Mauro Gallegati & Andrea Gentili, 2023. "Investigating Regional Disparities in Italy’s Well-Being Since Unification (1871–2011)," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(2), pages 697-722, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • C38 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Classification Methdos; Cluster Analysis; Principal Components; Factor Analysis
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_1023_26. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/bdigvit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.