President Sarkozy ’re-thinks’ economic measurements

President Sarkozy announced his support for a report that redefines economic success. This newly published report highlights the problem of measuring non-economic factors (such as health) with economic tools (i.e. GDP). Health is a reoccurring theme throughout the report, with parts focusing exclusively on health-related issues. The report was commissioned by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy who gave his full support to the outcome of the report in a speech during the launch of the report.

In September 2009 the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress launched a report that aims to identify the limits of GDP as an indicator of economic performance and social progress. It focuses on countries with high GDP figures that nonetheless also have low standards of living (in terms of mortality, morbidity, life-expectancy at birth etc). The report highlights the problem of not having a universally agreed definition that combines mortality and morbidity. It also points out the difficulties of carrying out within-country comparisons and the limited availability of health statistics in developing countries. A lack of statistics limit the possibility of monitoring progress in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals.

The Commission’s work was commissioned by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy gave an address during the launch of the report in which he highlighted the importance of the report’s conclusions: "If we don’t want our future, our children’s future, that of future generations, to be riddled with financial, economic, social, environmental and consequently human disasters, we have to change the way we live, consume and produce. We have to change the criteria governing our social organizations and our public policies.’’

Sarkozy continued, "France will open the debate on this report’s conclusions everywhere. She will put it on the agenda of every international gathering, every meeting and every discussion on building a new global economic, social and environmental order. She will fight to get all the international organizations to modify their statistical systems following the Commission’s recommendations. She will propose to her European partners that Europe set the example by implementing them’’.

The Commission was chaired by Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz, Professor at Columbia University and Amartya Sen, Professor at Harvard University, is Chair Adviser.

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For more information about the commission click here.