OECD Better Life Index: What It Measures and Why It Matters for Manufacturing

When we talk about OECD Better Life Index, a global framework developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to measure well-being across 11 key areas of life. Also known as Wellbeing Index, it doesn’t track GDP or factory output—it tracks whether people are actually living better. Most manufacturing discussions focus on output, efficiency, or exports. But what about the people making it all happen? The OECD Better Life Index asks the harder questions: Are workers getting enough sleep? Can they afford healthcare? Do their kids have good schools? These aren’t soft issues—they’re the hidden drivers of productivity, retention, and long-term industrial success.

Manufacturing doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s shaped by the same social and economic conditions the OECD tracks. In India, where over 100 million people work in manufacturing and related industries, the gap between production numbers and human outcomes is wide. A factory in Gujarat might hit its output targets, but if workers are commuting 3 hours a day, can’t afford childcare, or lack access to clean water, that’s not sustainable growth—it’s exploitation dressed up as progress. The OECD Better Life Index highlights this mismatch. It shows that countries with strong manufacturing sectors also invest in work-life balance, the ability to manage job demands alongside personal and family time, education, access to quality learning from early childhood through vocational training, and healthcare, affordable, accessible medical services for all workers. These aren’t bonuses—they’re infrastructure. Factories that ignore them lose talent. Nations that build them attract investment.

Look at the posts below. You’ll find articles on India’s top chemical hubs, steel giants, and textile exporters. But none of those companies thrive without healthy, skilled, and supported workers. The OECD Better Life Index doesn’t tell you which company produces the most plastic—it tells you whether the people making that plastic can afford to raise a family, take a vacation, or see a doctor when they’re sick. That’s the real measure of a manufacturing economy. What follows is a collection of articles that touch on policy, labor, innovation, and growth—all connected by one quiet truth: if the people behind the machines aren’t doing well, the machines won’t last.