Commissioned under the 2024 Pact for the Future and chaired by economists Kaushik Basu and Nora Lustig, with contributions from Joseph Stiglitz and other experts, the report starts from a straightforward observation: GDP was designed to measure economic output, not well-being, yet it has become the default benchmark for judging national progress — even though growth has often continued alongside rising inequality, environmental decline, and falling trust in institutions.

The report proposes a dashboard of 31 indicators, organized around peace, human rights and respect for the planet, current well-being, equity and inclusion, and five forms of capital (produced, human, social, institutional, and natural) needed to sustain progress over time. It sets out a roadmap for governments to adopt national well-being dashboards by 2027 and for the UN system to begin annual global reporting alongside GDP.