Social Progress Imperative

07/08/2026

Almost every Brazilian capital grew spontaneously, with paths opened by explorers. Belo Horizonte was born in reverse: first came the plan, then the city.

Was this plan successful? Estado de Minas analyzes this using the Brazil Social Progress Index.

✍ Full article:
https://www.em.com.br/emfoco/2026/08/02/entre-as-cinco-capitais-com-melhor-qualidade-de-vida-do-pais-a-cidade-planejada-em-1897-que-guarda-as-primeiras-obras-de-niemeyer/

🇧🇷 Explore the new Brazil Social Progress Index built in partnership with IPS Brasil. It covers 5,570 municipalities across Brazil's 26 states and the Federal District. It is one of the most ambitious efforts worldwide to measure social progress on a subnational scale.

https://www.socialprogress.org/thematic-webpages/brazil-social-progress-index

Planejada no fim do século 19, a capital reúne boa qualidade de vida, arquitetura moderna e algumas das primeiras obras de Oscar Niemeyer.

07/08/2026

Malaysia's true scorecard reveals a nation at a crossroads. The path of "business as usual", chasing GDP growth while ignoring the social and environmental externalities, is a road to ruin, says Malaysiakini.

✍ Full article: https://m.malaysiakini.com/letters/781541

🌍 Explore the Global Social Progress Index at https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index

GDP is a measure of activity, not well-being.

07/08/2026

The Latin American country with the highest social progress, surpassing even global powers. Can you guess which one it is?

Written by El Cronista https://www.cronista.com/informacion-gral/el-pais-de-america-latina-con-mayor-progreso-social-que-supera-incluso-a-potencias-mundiales/

Source: 2026 Global Social Progress Index: https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index

Un análisis realizado por INCAE destacó que esta nación será reconocida en el año 2026 por su notable avance social dentro de América Latina.

06/08/2026

These are the social issues Pakistan has improved the most according to the 2026 Global Social Progress Index. What is driving this?

Here is how Pakistan performs on social progress:
📊 Ranks 142 out of 171 countries
💧 Performs as expected in Basic Needs but needs to work on Opportunities (specifically on Rights & Voice and Inclusive Society)
🏠 Since 2011, Pakistan has improved the most on Housing and Information and Communications.

🎙️ Watch or listen now: https://www.socialprogress.org/post/the-resilience-of-pakistans-social-progress-amid-crises

Hosted by Michael Green with special guest Sheheryar M. Khan, development economist.

🌎 Explore the Global Social Progress Index. Link in bio.

05/08/2026

There's a whole environmental catastrophe that's waiting for Pakistan. Michael Green asks Sheheryar M. Khan whether there are any efforts to tackle these issues in our new episode of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast.

🌿 Watch or listen now on your favorite platforms or at https://www.socialprogress.org/post/the-resilience-of-pakistans-social-progress-amid-crises

04/08/2026

One of Pakistan's biggest challenges is around rights and inclusion.

What's your take? Can Pakistan turn its big potential into real change for its people?

🌍Watch or listen to the full episode of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast on your favorite platforms! https://www.socialprogress.org/post/the-resilience-of-pakistans-social-progress-amid-crises

Special guest: Sheheryar M. Khan, Development Economist and Research Assistant at Social Progress Imperative
Hosted by: Michael Green, CEO, Social Progress Imperative

03/08/2026

Air pollution impacts everything from our lung health to brain development, even influencing voting behavior! The new episode out now! ☺️

Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast with Michael Green and special guest Louise Thomas from Air Aware Labs

Watch or listen now on your favorite platforms 🎧 📽️ https://www.socialprogress.org/post/how-air-quality-dictates-your-decisions-cognition-and-votes

31/07/2026

Smoking and obesity get almost all the attention in global health discussions, yet air pollution has climbed past both of them on the risk list. Air quality can even dictate your decisions, cognition and… votes!

How do we protect ourselves when the threat is in the very air we breathe?

Michael Green from Social Progress Imperative and Louise Thomas from Air Aware Labs share some solutions on our latest episode of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast.

Watch or listen here:

Air quality influences our brain function, physical wellbeing, and long-term lifespan far more than we realize. In this episode of the Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast, we examine the massive, underreported threats floating through our air and why traditional broad-scale data points miss what...

29/07/2026

What does quality of life really look like in Pakistan when you look past standard economic metrics?

Watch the episode for a closer look at the data and daily life in Pakistan, discussed by our colleagues from Social Progress Imperative: Sheheryar M. Khan, Development Economist, and Michael Green, CEO.

Available on YouTube and on your favorite podcast platforms.

https://www.socialprogress.org/post/the-resilience-of-pakistans-social-progress-amid-crises

Don't miss out on the new episodes of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast

23/07/2026

With Keir Starmer out and Andy Burnham stepping in as Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade, the new administration inherits a nation facing 15 years of stagnation in social progress.

In this 7-minute episode of Beyond GDP: The Social Progress Podcast, Michael Green addresses Prime Minister Burnham directly, laying out an evidence-based roadmap for positive change grounded in the Social Progress Index.

✅ Watch or listen now: www.socialprogress.org/post/an-agenda-for-britains-new-prime-minister

🌎 Learn more about the Social Progress Index: https://www.socialprogress.org/social-progress-index

With Keir Starmer out and Andy Burnham stepping in as Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade, the new administration faces a nation stuck in a 15-year social progress track. Here are some recommendations.