Australia's new ‘wellbeing dashboard’ aims to redefine national progress.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released its first annual ‘Measuring What Matters’ dashboard - a tool developed to help quantify the wellbeing of Australians over traditional economic indicators like GDP. 

The dashboard is intended to embed a more holistic approach to measuring national progress, yet there are concerns about the robustness and timeliness of the data it offers.

The dashboard presents trends across 50 indicators organised into five themes: healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive, and prosperous. 

Authorities say that over 80 per cent of the indicators have been updated with new data, providing more comprehensive insights from various sources. 

However, a significant portion of the data remains outdated.

In response to these gaps, the Government has allocated $14.8 million over five years in the 2024-25 Budget to enable the ABS to conduct the General Social Survey annually, starting in 2025. 

The first data from this survey will be available in 2026, potentially improving the frequency and relevance of updates to the dashboard. 

The Government intends to release a more detailed wellbeing statement every three years, beginning in 2026, to better reflect long-term trends and outcomes.

The Centre for Policy Development (CPD) has praised the updated dashboard as a significant move toward prioritising the wellbeing of Australians in policymaking. 

“We can think of this as an enhanced social and economic toolkit that provides better guidance for policymakers and public servants,” said CPD CEO Andrew Hudson. 

He added that the dashboard, despite its imperfections, is crucial for understanding where improvements are needed and ensuring that Australia's progress is measured by more than just economic growth.

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