Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast

Two Cheers For Nigeria

There's controversy around Nigeria, but today, we want to give a shoutout to the social issues it is solving. Michael Green helps us analyze how the country is performing in water and sanitation, education, environmental quality, safety and Nutrition and Medical Care. He also highlights the biggest threats to Nigeria's future.  Which country would you like us to analyze next using the Global Social Progress Index?  Please follow and rate our show!  Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/ [https://www.socialprogress.org/] Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more.  [https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index] Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now!  [https://www.socialprogress.org/donatenow] Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!  [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/v9WI3lU/newsletter]

The English Speaking Disease?

For the last 15 years, while much of the world has pushed forward, the US, Canada, and the UK have seen their social progress stall,or worse, go backwards. Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland are also facing some challenges.  We use the 2026 Social Progress Index to diagnose why the English-speaking countries are losing their edge.  Listen now to learn why every English-speaking country ranks lower than 100th in housing affordability, how Canada and Australia are seeing a decline in personal security and see how the UK’s self-inflicted wounds are affecting their quality of life.  These countries must look for inspiration to solve some of their most pressing issues…somewhere else.  Please follow and rate our show!  Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/ [https://www.socialprogress.org/] Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more.  [https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index] Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now!  [https://www.socialprogress.org/donatenow] Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!  [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/v9WI3lU/newsletter]

China, The Greatest Development Story Ever Told?

In just three decades, China has transitioned from a developing nation to a global superpower, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty; however, is China’s development story an example for the rest of the world? In this episode, we analyze China’s economic and social development from 1990–2020 using the Time Series Social Progress Index to measure China’s "efficiency" in turning wealth into wellbeing. We compare China's trajectory with India and Indonesia, nations that achieved significant social progress with only a fraction of China's GDP per capita. Which country would you like us to analyze next?  Time Series: https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index-time-series Please follow and rate our show!  Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/ [https://www.socialprogress.org/] Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more.  [https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index] Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now!  [https://www.socialprogress.org/donatenow] Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!  [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/v9WI3lU/newsletter]

GDP Is Not Destiny

Ever wondered how we can really measure our quality of life? Economic growth is not the full answer. Michael Green explains the importance of going beyond GDP and why social progress matters.  We compare the world's richest nations, like Singapore, with economic "underdogs" like Estonia and Costa Rica to reveal who is actually delivering a better life for their citizens. GDP is definitely not destiny!  We go from "It's the economy, stupid," said in 1992, to why the United States' booming economy hasn't been able to translate its results into social progress. Why did the U.S. drop from 8th to 32nd in the world? We look at the outcomes that GDP ignores, like health, education, rights, and safety, to show you the real map of success.  Other countries we analyze their Social Progress Score vs. their GDP per capita for are Malawi, Norway, Turkey, Egypt, Guyana, Qatar, Finland, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Kyrgyzstan, and the Central African Republic.  Data from 1990 to 2020 available on the Time Series Social Progress Index: https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index-time-series Please follow and rate our show!  Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/ [https://www.socialprogress.org/] Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more.  [https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index] Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now!  [https://www.socialprogress.org/donatenow] Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!  [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/v9WI3lU/newsletter]

Europe's Hidden Gems for Quality of Life

Living in a wealthy capital city gives you the best quality of life? Not necessarily. While Northern Europe consistently tops the Social Progress Index ranking, the 2026 EU Regional Social Progress Index discovers hidden gems where wellbeing and social outcomes far exceed economic development. We use the Social Progress Imperative methodology adopted by the European Commission to look beyond GDP. We explore regions that prove you don't need a massive bank balance to enjoy safety, clean environments, and advanced education. Places like Extremadura in Spain, Northern Portugal near Porto, Podlaskie in Poland, Northern and Western Ireland and the North Aegean Islands are your safe options when looking for places to live in Europe.  Check out the full EU Regional Social Progress Index: https://www.socialprogress.org/thematic-webpages/european-union-regional-social-progress-index [https://www.socialprogress.org/thematic-webpages/european-union-regional-social-progress-index] Please follow and rate our show!  Explore our work at https://www.socialprogress.org/ [https://www.socialprogress.org/] Interested in the Social Progress Index? Learn more.  [https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index] Help us advance social progress across the world! Your donation makes a huge difference to us. Donate now!  [https://www.socialprogress.org/donatenow] Want the full story? Subscribe to our newsletter!  [https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/v9WI3lU/newsletter]