The UN Secretariat has published a report updating Member States on the activities of the Expert Group on Well-being Measurement and outlining the Expert Group’s proposed programme of work for 2026. The report will inform deliberations during the 57th session of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) – a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
According to the report (E/CN.3/2026/14), the Expert Group currently comprises 23 members from 16 countries, including nine from the global South, and 37 members from international and regional organizations.
The report notes that the creation of the Secretary-General’s High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP in response to the actions outlined in the 2024 Pact for the Future “materially changed the requirement for the Expert Group on Well-being Measurement” – a “purely technical group focused on the measurement of well-being, in an inclusive and sustainable context.” Among other support actions for the High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP, the Expert Group on Well-being Measurement provided “deep-dive” briefing notes focused on the traditional domains of work and housing, the new domains of digital well-being and subjective well-being, and composite indicators and challenges in communicating well-being as cross-cutting issues. In addition, the Expert Group established task teams on environment, health, and education.
The programme of work for 2026 outlines a roadmap for the delivery of a first version of the framework for inclusive and sustainable well-being. The report notes that the Expert Group “cannot envisage an attempt to understand well-being that does not take into account”: subjective well-being (mental health); physical health; education, skills, and capabilities; housing and security; work; and natural and digital environment. It is envisioned that, following consultation with users and partners, the framework for inclusive and sustainable well-being will be brought into full alignment with the High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP.
The report invites the Statistical Commission to:
- Welcome the work of the Expert Group in 2025, including its consultations with key partners and preliminary focus on supporting the High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP;
- Endorse the programme of work for 2026, including the distribution of draft chapters of the framework for inclusive and sustainable well-being for global consultation in 2026; and
- Support the two-phase plan to develop a complete framework for inclusive and sustainable well-being, allowing the conclusions and recommendations of the High-level Expert Group on Beyond GDP to be reflected therein.
The 57th session of the UN Statistical Commission is scheduled to convene in New York, US, from 3-6 March 2026. [Publication: Report of the Expert Group on Well-being Measurement: Note by the Secretary-General]