Aproximación al índice de bienestar económico sostenible: caso de estudio Argentina.

Abstract

Abstract: This study aims to estimate and analyze the evolution of the Sustainable Economic Welfare Index (ISEW) for Argentina during the period 1990 2021 in order to evaluate welfare beyond traditional economic growth measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Using an approach that integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions, a historical series of the ISEW was constructed using data from official sources such as INDEC, the World Bank, and SEDLAC. The methodology incorporates components including consumption adjusted for income inequality, the value of unpaid domestic work, public spending on education and health, defensive expenditures, environmental costs associated with emissions, depletion of natural capital, and net capital formation. The results show that the evolution of sustainable welfare does not always follow the same trajectory as GDP, revealing periods in which economic growth does not translate into real improvements in well-being. In particular, inequality, environmental deterioration, and net investment explain much of these divergences, highlighting the importance of alternative indicators to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation of economic development.