Global Wellbeing Links

1. Lesson 1: Defining Human Wellbeing

What would your Human Development Index look like? Take a look at this and create your own.

The OECD has a Better Life Index. Please take a look at it also to better understand this option.

You can read Oxfam's Time to Care report during this lesson too if you wish.

Learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals here.


Need some help with your glossary of terms? Take a look below at some definitions of terms not included in your lesson notes:

Employment Rate:  The number people over 15 years and over that are employed, given as a proportion of the population. Also known as the employment-to-population ratio.

Absolute (Extreme) Poverty: The number of people who lack the most basic of life's requirements. This is measured by estimating the numbers of individuals or families who cannot provide for the necessities of life such as housing, food or clothing and sometimes placed as the number of people living on less than $1 per day.

Relative Poverty: The term used to describe the number of people who have access to clothing, food and shelter but are poorer than others in the community. This refers to those people who cannot afford actively to participate in society and benefit from the activities and experiences that most other people take for granted.

Malnutrition: A deficiency in a person’s intake of nutrients needed for healthy living.

Developed world: A term used to describe the world’s richest countries. Countries in the developed world are generally located in the United States of America and Western Europe and include Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Developing country: A term used to describe and world’s poorest countries. These countries are generally located in Africa, Asia and Central and South America.

Maternal mortality: The death of a mother during childbirth. Generally higher in developing countries with less access to health services.

Sanitation: The infrastructure related to the collection and disposal of human waste, including the construction of pipes and toilets to dispose of waste products including human waste.

Gross National Product: The value of all products and services produced by a country, including those produced domestically and internationally. GNP does not income earned by foreign residents.