GDP alternatives revisited: A systematic review and thematic analysis of barriers to the adoption of alternative measures of economic progress

A considerable body of work argues that GDP is not a measure of social welfare and distorts the impact of economic activity. Given its well-documented shortcomings, a plethora of alternative measures have been developed to correct the welfare distortions of GDP. Collectively they are known as Beyond GDP (BGDP) measures. However, none of the alternatives proposed over the past 50 years have been widely adopted. This study examines the lack of progress toward the adoption of an alternative measure to GDP using a systematic review of the BGDP literature as its starting point for examining barriers to adopting BGDP measures. Of the 1211 publications that met our inclusion criteria, we found that only 2% (27) discussed barriers to the adoption of BGDP measures. We also found a considerable lack of public sector considerations despite the fact that government agencies are typically the ones collecting and analyzing data on GDP and other economic, social, and environmental indicators. While our analysis began with a focus on barriers to the implementation of national BGDP measures, we found similarities in the barriers experienced across all levels of government. Particularly striking is the lack of consideration for practical operational issues. Our review finds five key issues that hinder the adoption of GDP alternatives. They are: 1) mission-related (alignment) barriers 2) fiscal and resource barriers 3) communication barriers, 4) commitment barriers, and 5) knowledge barriers. We conclude that future research should evaluate these five types of barriers against potential operational strategies in government and non-government institutions.