1. Open Data for Measuring Social
Progress
The OECD Better Life Index
www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org
Vincent Finat-Duclos – Data editor at OECD

2. OPEN DATA FOR MEASURING
SOCIAL PROGRESS
Is there more to progress than simply growing the economy? How can open knowledge
help us to measure progress better?
The measurement of social progress and human development has seen rapid advances fuelled by the growing
availability of data and theoretical concepts that call for a wider definition of human development beyond
conventional measures such as income or GDP. Academics and policymakers are relying increasingly on more
sophisticated “composite indices” to compare the performance of cities, regions and countries. So far,
however, the public has remained a passive “consumer” of such
indices. This session explores how open data and collaborative approaches can help create new metrics,
as well as improve existing metrics of well-being. Bringing together speakers from the cutting-edge of
academia, policy and civil society, this session aims for a creative discussion about how technology and
openness can help redefine the very concept of progress.

3. How can the OECD encourage public
participation in defining well-being?

4. OECD « Progress » Timeline
2012
2011
2010
2008 2009
2005 2006 2007
2004
Palermo, Italy
www.oecd.org/site/worldforum/
Istambul, Turkey
www.oecd.org/site/worldforum06/
Busan, Korea
www.oecd.org/site/progresskorea/
2013
New Delhi, India
www.oecd.org/site/worldforumindia/
Launch of the Global project:
“Measuring the Progress of Societies”
Launch of the
OECD Better Life Index
www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org
and the How’s Life? report
First update of the
OECD Better Life Index
www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org
Launch of the commission on
measuring progress
Report is issued
http://www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr/en/index.htm

5. A virtuous circle
Better Life
Index
Well-
Being
Feedbacks
Policies
Learn about
Provide
Influence
Feed

6. Main panel with
comparative graphics
Evolve when weights are modified
Aggregate index
Evolves when weights are modified
Interactive panel: the
user can assign
different weights to
indicators

8. Version 1 vs Version 2
• Interactive index
• Sharing possibilities
• Descriptive texts and policies
• A “hidden” survey
• Free access to all content
• Interactive index
• Sharing possibilities
• More descriptive texts and policies
• Survey: extended and more visible
• Free access to all content
• Users can compare themselves
• Introduction to the inequality issue
• Blog

9. Version 1 vs Version 2 (cont.)
From 21 May 2011 to 20 May 2012 (12 months):
850 000 visits
2,30 pages/visit
4 min 09 /visit
6500 shared index
From 21 May 2012 to 19 Sept 2012 (4 months):
290 000 visits
2,43 pages/visit
3 min 34 /visit
9500 shared index
1500 complete surveys filled

10. Survey results
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Female Male
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
<15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 >65
Country of origins # of visits
France 2592
USA 2098
Germany 1129
Italy 998
Canada 768
Australia 739
United Kingdom 605
Austria 495
Mexico 474
Switzerland 359
Spain 346
Belgium 342
Portugal 300
Turkey 290
Japan 225
Russia 201
Hungary 193
Brazil 179
New Zealand 173
Chile 162
Country of origins:
Gender distribution:
Age distribution:

11. User preferences
0
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.1
0.12
“Safety Comfort Health and Education in a clean environment.”
“That I can leave this world as good if not better for my children. That my job is a career - not a chore.”
« beaucoup moins de pauvreté de guerres et moins de gaspillage matériel et financier de la part de tous. »
What a Better Life means to the users?

12. Where do we go next?
If we want to influence future policies, We need to keep on providing
knowledge to the users.
To do so we’re planning on:
• Making the indicators more robust
• Extending the country coverage
• Improving the interface
• Adding more content to the website

13. Should you have any question:
bli@oecd.org
vincent.finat-duclos@oecd.org