by A.W. Berry

Created on: November 13, 2007   Last Updated: January 12, 2011

Quality of life decreases along with declines in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to an intrinsic correlation between the two. Consequently, GDP is the only measurement of progress needed. This article will expand upon the connection between GDP and quality of life in addition to illustrating why GDP is the more important of the measurements.

'Progress' is a relative term open to debate and depending on who one asks. However, if the concept of more is tied with progress, then more productivity as measured by Gross Domestic Product is not the only metric a society can attain increases in. More happiness, more health, more freedom, more rights etc. are all gains in life some might consider progress. A significant question of possibility emerges out of this divergent view of progress however. Specifically, can progress be sustained if other metrics of progress besides GDP and related measurements such as Job growth are not the only indicators of progress? In other words, can productivity continue grow side by side with other types of progress? After all, people might get lazy when they're happy so having more of other things considered progress might just be counterproductive to progress. This article will discuss other types of progress side by side with GDP in light of the above considerations.

Since Gross Domestic Product measures the total output of goods and services produced by a country, that measurement is a measurement of total material wealth produced for a given year as valued by currency prices for the cost of those goods and services. The first question one might ask is ,if the GDP were to decline, could other aspects of 'progress' continue to rise? For example, if there is less medical equipment, fewer doctors produced, less health care services etc. one can draw the connection progress in health care may also decline along with the decline in GDP if such GDP declines are comprised of declines in health related products and services. The result becomes less progress in this case, and may be further debilitated by declines in production related to other aspects of the economy.

To further illustrate, progress is linked to the economy and the economy is measured by GDP. While GDP is not the only measurement of an economy, it is a key indicator of the wealth available to a 'population'. The less wealth there is, the lower the standard of living becomes. Since standard of living is related to quality of life, a decline in GDP which is a measure of standard

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