A Birdseye View of Well-being - Exploring a Multidimensional Measure for the United Kingdom - OPHI Research in Progress 60a

Sep 5, 2026

This paper develops a new approach to measuring well-being and human development through a single, joint multidimensional index that is intuitive, methodologically rigorous, and policy-relevant. Drawing on Amartya Sen’s capability approach and the Alkire-Foster method adapted from Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index, it proposes an exploratory Multidimensional Well-being Index for the United Kingdom using Understanding Society (Wave 9) data. Results are shown nationally and disaggregated by population subgroups and regions to highlight inequality. Indicator constraints guide interpretation as a methodology, not definitive outcomes. Findings show 44% report satisfactory well-being, with large differences by ethnicity and expressed unmet needs in diet, physical exercise, and life satisfaction across income and leisure.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

A birdseye view of well-being

| Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) Oxford Department of International Development University of Oxford | | | --- | --- | | OPHI RESEARCH IN PROGRESS SERIES 60a
A Birdseye View of Well-being: Exploring a
Multidimensional Measure for the United Kingdom
Sabina Alkire* and Fanni Kovesdi**
December 2020
Abstract
This paper explores a new approach to capturing well-being and human development in a single, joint multidimensional index that is at once intuitive, rigorous and policy salient. Based on Amartya Sen’s capability approach and the Alkire-Foster method as adapted in Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index, the paper presents a new exploratory Multidimensional Well-being Index (MWI) for the United Kingdom. The aim of the paper is twofold: inform the debate on the measurement of well-being, and of human development more generally, and illustrate the added value of a single rigorous metric in the form of an index, as a complementary headline measure to GDP. The MWI presented here follows a subset of the domains and indicators from the official national well-being dashboard for the UK and is constructed from a single wave of Understanding Society (Wave 9) data. Findings are presented at the national level and decomposed by population subgroups and regions to reveal inequalities in well-being across the population. The indicators are data constrained so we recommend the results be interpreted as illustrating a methodology that could be insightful for policy if appropriate indicators were agreed by due process. Results show that 44% the population enjoys satisfactory levels of well-being, but this varies greatly. For instance, across ethnic groups, 53% of white people enjoy favourable well-being, but only 35% of other ethnic groups, and only 27% of persons who self-identify as Black/African/Caribbean/Black British. Many people report lacking a balanced diet and minimum physical exercise, as well as feeling unhappy, anxious and not feeling satisfied with income or leisure time, that highlights the need for policy focus on these areas if well-being is to be raised and maintained for all. | | | | | Keywords: Human development, well-being, wellbeing, well-being measurement, capability approach, Alkire-Foster, United Kingdom, disaggregation, Understanding Society, subjective wellbeing, life satisfaction, GNH, Bhutan, multidimensional well-being index. JEL classification: C43, D60, D63, I30, I31, I38, O15 . Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge the helpful advice and comments received by JanEmmanuel De Neve, Sara Frankl, Sofie Habram, Jonathan Hall, Thomas Helgeson, Viveka Palm, Elina Scheja, Dawn Snape, colleagues at UNDP and participants in a seminar jointly hosted by OPHI and Oxford’s Well-being Research Centre. All errors remain our own. Funding information: The authors are grateful for funding received by the Human Development Report Office at the United Nations Development Programme which commissioned this as an Occasional Background paper. Citation: Alkire, S. and Kovesdi, F. (2020). ‘A birdseye view of well-being: Exploring a multidimensional measure for the United Kingdom’, OPHI Research in Progress 60a, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. 1. Introduction Recent public discourse evinces a clear hunger to bring well-being centrally into the frame of articulate societal objectives. For many, this is in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that refocused attention on topics that were previously often perceived as ‘personal’or secondary to economic and political affairs. Such topics include health behaviours, food security, family relationships, mental health and psychological well-being, physical exercise, access to natural and sacred spaces, community engagements, and acts of generosity and solidarity. Such changes in discourse and priorities reflect the new circumstances many have experienced. Living in the shadow

FAQs

What index does the paper propose for measuring well-being in the United Kingdom?

The paper proposes an exploratory Multidimensional Well-being Index (MWI) that combines well-being and human development in a single joint multidimensional measure.

What theoretical approaches and methods underpin the MWI?

The MWI is grounded in Amartya Sen’s capability approach and uses the Alkire-Foster method, adapted from Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index.

How are results presented and what do they reveal?

Results are presented at the national level and then decomposed by population subgroups and regions, revealing substantial inequalities. The paper reports that 44% of the population enjoys satisfactory well-being, with lower shares among some ethnic groups.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by วิน