On 23 August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) unveiled the first annual update of the Measuring What Matters dashboard, a key element of Australia’s wellbeing framework established by the Albanese Government in 2023. This framework aims to track the nation’s progress across a range of indicators that extend beyond traditional metrics like GDP.
Now under the stewardship of the ABS, the dashboard covers 50 selected indicators, organised under five key themes: healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive, and prosperous. These themes reflect the Government’s commitment to move ‘beyond GDP’ and towards a more comprehensive measure of national progress.
However, despite the promising framework, the latest release leaves much to be desired. Dr. Liz Allen, a demographer specialising in populations, social trends, surveys, and data, expressed disappointment at the absence of key housing and socioeconomic indicators. Her sentiment captures a broader concern that, while the dashboard is a step in the right direction, it remains incomplete. “The Measuring What Matters indicators show exactly what does and doesn’t matter to the government,” she noted with some critique.
The 2024 dashboard update offers new data on 42 of the 50 indicators, with headline metrics refreshed in 30 of these. While some areas have seen progress, the data gaps and the outdated information in some metrics raise questions about the dashboard’s effectiveness as a tool for real-time decision-making. The inclusion of supplementary information in the absence of updated headline metrics is a patch, not a fix.
The Government has acknowledged these shortcomings, with the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, announcing a $14.8 million investment over five years in the 2024-25 Budget. This funding is intended to support the ABS in delivering the General Social Survey annually, starting in 2026. The expanded survey aims to provide more frequent and detailed data, which will be integrated into future updates of the Measuring What Matters dashboard.
This development is expected to enhance the dashboard’s capacity to reflect the wellbeing of Australians more accurately. The second comprehensive wellbeing statement, scheduled for release in 2026, promises a deeper dive into the data, offering a more detailed analysis of trends and areas where improvement is needed.
While the dashboard is presented as an evolving tool, the release on 23 August highlights the challenges of measuring wellbeing in a way that is both comprehensive and current. The dashboard’s current state, with its data gaps and outdated metrics, underscores the need for continuous improvement and refinement. As the Government moves forward with its commitment to wellbeing, the success of the Measuring What Matters framework will depend on its ability to provide timely and relevant data that truly reflects the experiences and needs of Australians.
The ambition is clear: to build a more inclusive, fair, and equitable nation. However, the road to achieving that goal is still under construction, with many more updates, improvements, and consultations required before the dashboard can genuinely serve as a robust tool for national wellbeing.
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