Hidden Economic Indicators

A country’s Gross National Product is often presented as a measure of the economic well-being of its citizens. But how economists calculate GNP is not clearly understood by most people. Current methods of calculation measure only the cash-generating capacity of an economy, not its productive capacity. This equation not only misrepresents the economic well-being of the populace, but also ignores such salient factors as the environment, sustainability and the enormous contributions of women.