Contents and Measurement of Socioeconomic Development

In the 1970s, the Institute was a pioneer in its work on alternative ways of defining, measuring and analysing the distribution of the material components of livelihood. It emphasized the need for careful selection and screening of data, and new methods of analysis. This publication developed new methods of analysis with their own terminology to examine the interrelations between social and economic aspects of development through a comparative cross-national analysis. In particular, it introduced correspondence analysis, where 18 core indicators could be combined into a general index of socioeconomic development.