Inclusive Growth

This paper presents the Measurement Framework of the OECD Inclusive Growth Initiative, a horizontal project that the OECD launched in 2012 to develop a new vision of economic growth that can translate in higher living standards for all. This measurement framework builds on the equivalent income approach to develop an indicator of Multidimensional Living Standards (MDLS) that combines monetary (income) and non-monetary (health and jobs) benefits from economic growth and aggregates them across individuals with different characteristics. The paper discusses estimates of MDLS for 29 OECD countries and China in the period 1995-2012. It finds that between 1995 and 2007 living standards of the median household have increased in all countries under study and have gone up the most in countries where they were initially lower. The convergence in living standards has been driven by convergence in all underlying dimensions, namely income, unemployment and to a lesser extent, longevity. Between 2007 and 2012 living standards of median households hardly grew and several countries witnessed receding living standards. The bulk of the loss is explained by rising unemployment, while median household income growth has remained broadly stable.