The Wellbeing Economy in Brief

The Wellbeing Economy in Brief series is a collection of mini briefing papers that look at the idea of a wellbeing economy, how it relates to other ideas for economic change, and what some of the core elements of a wellbeing economy are.

The series of papers reflect on why Australia needs to build a wellbeing economy, and attempts to clarify terms and expressions and associated wellbeing economy ideas so that discussions can take place from a basis of shared understanding and language.

• Part 1 gives an overview of the series by the authors and the areas it seeks to explain and elaborate on
• Part 2 defines ‘wellbeing’ and the different mechanisms required to deliver it at a whole of population level
• Part 3 lays out the extensive evidence for the need for a new way of approaching our economy
• Part 4 calls for new recipes for Australia’s economy, and outlines the environmental, social and financial impacts of business as usual
• Part 5 defines the core tenets of a wellbeing economy, and how we measure progress towards it
• Part 6 assembles the jigsaw of multiple pieces to illustrate what a wellbeing economy looks like in practice
• Part 7 proposes a clear sequence for embedding wellbeing into government
• Part 8 contextualises the wellbeing economy among a multitude of ‘cousin concepts’, explaining that wellbeing sits underneath (rather than alongside) the ideas it supports and connects
• Part 9 looks at how the wellbeing economy concept is resonating with Australians
• Part 10 explores the pervasiveness of GDP as the single measure of success, and how it influences policy decisions currently