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Should society measure "progress" not just by increases in GDP, but rather through a set of more precise quality of life indicators?

There are many more important indicators of a nation's "progress" to consider than its gross domestic product. We are all familiar with nations whose citizens produce many of the world's consumer goods yet these same people slave for pennies a day, and exist in conditions of squalor and abject poverty.

Some of these countries are dictatorships, others are Communist states, but they share one element in common. The rulers, or the government officials, control the wealth earned through the labour of the people. The workers are allowed just enough of the necessities of life to maintain their strength so they can continue to work for the benefit of the leaders. Life for these workers is short, cheap and devoid of most of the pleasures and comforts we take for granted.

If the progress of these nations were judged solely by the GDP, they would attain a very high score. This result would be far from the truth and convey to the world a false impression of living conditions for the ordinary person. The average citizen in these nations usually live in extremely primitive conditions, conditions which make the poorest individual living in North America society appear to be well off.

The progress of a nation could more accurately be appraised by considering these indicators:

- the percentage of homeless people in the general population

- the percentage of households which have access to reliable electricity and efficient plumbing

- the ability of the people to choose their leaders through free elections

- the average life span for males and females

- the availability and affordability of adequate medical care to the average citizen

- the compulsory age to which children must attend school

- the literacy rate of the general population

- freedom of worship

- freedom of the press

- the mortality rate of children between birth and the age of five years

- the average annual income for single people and for families of various sizes.

The progress of a nation cannot be judged solely by the gross domestic product. Progressive nations have leaders who share the wealth from natural resources and the labour of its citizens with the population. A truly progressive nation is mirrored in the overall welfare and the living conditions of its people. For this reason, all of the above factors must be taken into consideration before determining just how progressive a particular country might be.

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Tytler.
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