Society at a Glance 2019
OECD Social Indicators
This report, the ninth edition of the biennial OECD overview of social indicators, addresses the growing demand for quantitative evidence on social well-being and its trends. This year’s edition presents 25 indicators, several of which are new, and includes data for 36 OECD member countries and, where available, key partners (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa) and other G20 countries (Argentina and Saudi Arabia).
The report features a special chapter on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people: their numbers, how they fare in terms of economic outcomes and well-being, and what policies can improve LGBT inclusivity. It also includes a special section based on the 2018 OECD Risks That Matter Survey on people’s perceptions of social and economic risks and the extent to which they think governments address those risks. In addition, the report provides a guide to help readers in understanding the structure of OECD social indicators.
Poverty
Income poverty rates measure the share of people at the bottom end of the income distribution. Society’s equity concerns are typically greater for the relatively disadvantaged. As a result, poverty measures often receive more attention than income inequality measures, with greater concerns for certain groups like older people and children, who have no or limited options for working their way out of poverty.