A new way to measure inclusive development

What is it about?

Poverty has decreased all over the world, but inequality is on the rise. As a result, inclusive development that benefits everyone is the need of the hour. Accurate assessment of inclusive development can help design better future policies. Governments all over the world are trying to find new ways to ensure inclusive development. But they face two big challenges. The first is the lack of a proper definition of the term “inclusive.” The second is the lack of tools to measure inclusive development. This paper offers a new method of measuring inclusive development. It is called Multidimensional Inclusiveness Index (MDI). Its main focus is on humans and all the factors that are important for their wellbeing. The study measured the MDI for 170 countries between 1960 and 2018. MDI measured development based on equity and achievements of people from all walks of life. The study found that changes in MDI over the years can be matched up with the regional trends in development and political events around the world.

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Photo by Elyse Chia on Unsplash

Photo by Elyse Chia on Unsplash

Why is it important?

MDI has many advantages over current measures of inclusive development. Firstly, it considers the state of the environment for each country. It improves the amount of data that can be used for research. It provides more detailed information that can be used for making policies. Finally, it can discriminate between the performances of different countries better than the current methods. KEY TAKEAWAY: Improving equality should be the most important measure of inclusive development. This research relates to the following Sustainable Development Goals: • SDG 10: Reduced Inequality • SDG 1: No Poverty • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals