Over the years, Gross Domestic Product has evolved into the golden standard for measuring the success of a country. Even so, GDP may not be the best way to actually measure a society. According to some analysts, the Social Progress Index could be a better measure by taking into account opportunity and basic human needs.GDP versus SPI
GDP is based on tallying the value of services and goods produced by a country annually. The big problem with this measure is that it only takes into account the economic performance of a country rather than the well-being or happiness of the country's citizens. This is precisely why the Social Progress Index was launched in 2014. Under this index, societies are measured based on three major criteria: Basic Human Needs (water, food, safety, and shelter); Foundations of Wellbeing (information, basic education, a sustainable environment, and health); and Opportunity (freedom of choice, personal rights, access to higher education, and freedom from discrimination).
Recently, more than 130 countries were evaluated using the Social Progress Index in order to determine the most socially progressive countries in the world. Among the most notable differences in utilizing the Social Progress Index rather than the GDP is the fact that social progress tends to be much less volatile than Gross Domestic Product.
Topping the 2015 list is Norway, a country that scored exceptionally well in all three dimensions. Along with performing well on basic education, Norway also has excellent access to sanitation and water, while providing great personal choice and freedom. While Norway also has a healthy GDP, that is not always the case with all countries. This is largely because not all countries with a high GDP spread the wealth around.
Costa Rica Ranks Well in Social Progress
Costa Rica ranked 28th on the list. In fact, relative to its GDP per capita, Costa Rica is actually considered somewhat of an overachiever, demonstrating strength across all three categories. The country has worked diligently over the years in terms of building social progress. In addition to having a strong education system, Costa Rica has also developed long-standing health and welfare systems, while providing a long tradition of democracy.
While GDP focuses on only one area of performance, SPI focuses on measuring outcomes, such as literacy rate and life expectancy. Consequently, there are no quick fixes or even cheats with the Social Progress Index.