OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría welcomes the Spanish government's budget and the economic policy measures announced yesterday.

A major step forward towards putting the measurement of well-being at the heart of policy-making was taken at a four-day international conference which ended in New Delhi today.

Employment has risen by more and unemployment has risen less than expected, given the path of output. Nevertheless, long-term and youth unemployment and involuntary part-time work are high. A polarised labour market risks worsening income inequality, which is high by OECD standards, despite a recent and likely temporary decline.

This paper derives estimates of the efficiency of welfare spending in Slovenia and the other OECD countries from data envelopment analysis based on model specifications used in earlier OECD studies.

Austria enjoys strong material well-being and high quality of life. Steady convergence with top GDP per capita levels translated into decisive improvements in household disposable incomes while significant redistribution has ensured low income inequality and poverty.

Important challenges for the future of Austrian well-being arise from demographic and environmental trends. The ageing of the population calls for a fair balance between life-time pension contributions and entitlements, drawing on the recent pension reform.

Sound macroeconomic policies and the commodity boom have helped Chile record an enviable period of economic growth and job creation. Further reforms are needed to make the labour market more inclusive and growth greener, while more could be done to support innovation and entrepreneurship, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Chile.

Inequality – now at its highest level in decades in many countries – undermines economic growth and well-being, says a new OECD report. But policies to tackle the widening gap between rich and poor will only succeed if they also look beyond income and address better access to high-quality education, health care and public infrastructure, it adds.

Life is quite good in the United States compared to other OECD countries, thanks to strong economic growth and technological progress having lifted average income to high levels. Nonetheless, there is evidence that the benefits from growth have not been sufficiently broad based.

This paper uses data from the American Life Panel to understand the determinants of well-being in the United States during the Great Recession. It investigates how various dimensions of subjective well-being reflected in the OECD Better Life Framework impact subjective well-being.

People’s well-being has generally progressed since the early 20th century across a large part of the world, according to new research published by a consortium of economic historians (CLIO-INFRA) and produced in collaboration with the OECD and OECD Development Centre.

The United Kingdom’s economy is projected to expand this year and next, but challenges remain to boost productivity and make future growth more inclusive, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey.

The New Zealand economy has performed well in recent years, but bottlenecks in housing and urban infrastructure, inequalities in living standards and rising environmental pressures all pose challenges for sustaining robust growth and high levels of well-being over the long term, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of New Zealand.

The slowdown in productivity over the past decade has added to concerns about the long-term economic outlook. But new OECD research shows that policy reforms can revive the diffusion of innovation and make better use of human talent to clear the path for higher and more inclusive productivity growth.

Austria has a model of "separate gender roles" in work, family and life arrangements which persists despite efforts to better balance these roles.

Polish economic growth remains solid and unemployment is decreasing, but further investments in infrastructure and skills will be essential to sustain a continuing improvement in living standards, environmental quality and well-being, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Poland.

Israel is a young country with still dynamic population growth, but it is already beginning to face the consequences of population ageing.

Denmark’s economic prospects are improving, but further reforms are needed to maintain the country’s high living standards and ensure the well-being of all citizens, according to a new report from the OECD.

Population ageing is setting in earlier in Germany than in most other OECD economies and will be marked.

For each hour worked Portugal produces about half of the output produced in the United States.

The private sector can be a strategic partner in the pursuit of sustainable and inclusive growth, with the ability to have a profound impact, particularly in areas such as climate change, inclusiveness, equality and good governance.

Unemployment is still above 8% in Latvia and contributes to poverty, in part because many unemployed have been without a job for an extended period of time.

The peace agreement will boost economic growth, but to share it fairly Colombia must also achieve better educational outcomes and bring more people into the more productive formal economy.

The Swiss economy has shown considerable resilience to shocks, but economic growth remains slow, and per capita income levels still hover at levels attained before the global economic crisis. Further reforms are needed to restore productivity growth, boost incomes and ensure that today’s high living standards and levels of well-being are passed on to future generations, according to a new report from the OECD.

Thanks to a highly developed welfare state, poverty is moderate on average in France, but – as in other countries – highly concentrated in some neighbourhoods.

OECD household income growth continues to lag GDP growth, slowing to 0.2% in third quarter of 2017

OECD household income growth picks up to 0.3% in fourth quarter of 2017 but continues to lag GDP growth

Governments must implement comprehensive structural reform programmes to sustain stronger, greener and more inclusive growth that will extend beyond the current cyclical upswing, according to the OECD’s annual Going for Growth report.

Canada is one of the OECD economies delivering the best outcomes for its citizens, especially in regards to self-reported well-being, personal security and health status. Canada is also undertaking several programmes to foster inclusive growth – with respect to childcare benefits, gender equality and social housing.

OECD household income up 0.7% in first quarter of 2018, outpacing GDP growth

OECD household income growth slows to 0.3%, lagging behind GDP growth in second quarter of 2018

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría today welcomed Brazil’s further engagement with the Organisation’s world-leading global education assessment programme (PISA) during a signing ceremony in Brasilia with Brazil’s Minister for Education Aloízio Mercadante.

G20 Finance Ministers have welcomed a new OECD/G20 framework designed to help governments develop financial strategies for disaster risk management.

Restoring fiscal sustainability is a major challenge in Slovenia. Yet, the performance in terms of expenditure control is poor and public expenditure on social spending increased briskly during the crisis, significantly more than on average across the OECD.

The global economic crisis has had a profound impact on people’s well-being, reaching far beyond the loss of jobs and income, and affecting citizens’ satisfaction with their lives and their trust in governments, according to a new OECD report.

This blog, by Wikichild co-ordinator Melinda George, takes a look at the well-being aspects and the quality of public service provision in the OECD's "Government at a Glance 2013" report. The post is part of Wikiprogress' December spotlight on governance.

Life expectancy, air quality, safety and other indicators of well-being can vary dramatically within countries, depending on which region you live in. Looking beyond national averages is vital to get an accurate picture of quality of life and to guide local government policy.

Your zip code matters – but not only to get your mail. It determines your chances of going to a good school, finding a well-paid job, breathing clean air or even living longer. Our day-to-day experience of life is essentially local, and this is precisely where governments and citizens can make a difference. Blog by OECD's Soo-Jin Kim.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría today welcomed the passage into law of Latvia's “Public Persons Enterprises and Capital Shares Governance Law”.

Housing Starts in Israel increased to 12774 units in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 12584 units in the third quarter of 2019. Housing Starts in Israel averaged 11219.95 units from 1990 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 23491 units in the first quarter of 1995 and a record low of 6913 units in the fourth quarter of 2002. In Israel, Housing Starts are measured by the total number of dwellings' construction started. This page provides the latest reported value for - Israel Housing Starts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Housing Starts in Turkey increased to 9195 units in December from 5557 units in November of 2019. Housing Starts in Turkey averaged 7394.34 units from 2002 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 39137 units in December of 2010 and a record low of 1250 units in January of 2002. This page provides the latest reported value for - Turkey Housing Starts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Housing Starts in Russia increased to 5.30 Million Sq Meter in March from 4.60 Million Sq Meter in February of 2020. Housing Starts in Russia averaged 4.59 Million Sq Meter from 1996 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 19.70 Million Sq Meter in December of 2014 and a record low of 0.40 Million Sq Meter in January of 1996. In Russia, Housing Starts is measured by the total area of started constructions. This page provides the latest reported value for - Russia Housing Starts - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Housing Starts in Czech Republic decreased to 9140 units in the first quarter of 2020 from 9540 units in the fourth quarter of 2019. Housing Starts in Czech Republic averaged 8306.10 units from 1998 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 12580 units in the third quarter of 2007 and a record low of 5062 units in the first quarter of 2015. This page provides - Czech Republic Housing Starts- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Housing Starts in Iceland decreased to 2525 units in 2018 from 2836 units in 2017. Housing Starts in Iceland averaged 1819.10 units from 1970 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 4446 units in 2007 and a record low of 142 units in 2011. This page provides - Iceland Housing Starts- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Housing Starts in Finland increased to 3090 units in January from 2641 units in December of 2019. Housing Starts in Finland averaged 2673.42 units from 1995 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 5553 units in May of 2000 and a record low of 531 units in February of 1995. This page provides - Finland Housing Starts- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Building Permits in Turkey increased to 68916 in December from 42496 in November of 2019. Building Permits in Turkey averaged 55095.58 from 2002 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 326512 in September of 2017 and a record low of 4815 in January of 2002. In Turkey, building permit refer to a certificate which must be issued for the buildings/dwellings to be constructed. This page provides - Turkey Building Permits- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Building Permits in Ireland decreased to 1598 in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 1922 in the third quarter of 2019. Building Permits in Ireland averaged 3104.31 from 1977 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 7563 in the second quarter of 2004 and a record low of 751 in the fourth quarter of 2013. In Ireland, Building Permits is measured by the number of planning permissions granted for new dwellings. This page provides the latest reported value for - Ireland Building Permits - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Building Permits in Germany decreased to 24464 in January from 36606 in December of 2019. Building Permits in Germany averaged 19710.80 from 2003 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 36606 in December of 2019 and a record low of 9738 in January of 2009. This page provides - Germany Building Permits- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Building Permits in Slovenia decreased to 231 in March from 236 in February of 2020. Building Permits in Slovenia averaged 252.41 from 2013 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 458 in December of 2018 and a record low of 92 in January of 2016. This page provides - Slovenia Building Permits- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Building Permits in Australia decreased to -4 percent in March from 19.90 percent in February of 2020. Building Permits in Australia averaged 0.33 percent from 1983 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 31.70 percent in May of 2012 and a record low of -21.90 percent in November of 2002. In Australia, Building Permits show the monthly change in the number of total dwelling units approved, including building activity carried out on existing buildings. This page provides the latest reported value for - Australia Building Permits - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.