1887

OECD Papers on Well-being and Inequalities

This series features working papers on the measurement agenda for well-being, inclusion, sustainability and equal opportunity as well as papers seeking to deepen the understanding of the drivers of these issues, the ways in which they interact and how they evolve. These papers are prepared by OECD staff, external experts or by outside consultants working on OECD projects.

English

Measuring social connectedness in OECD countries

A scoping review

Social connections refer to the ways that people interact with and relate to one another. Their role in shaping well-being is increasingly recognised by government, alongside an understanding of the role public policy plays in creating the structures that promote or hinder connectedness. To improve the evidence base on this emerging policy priority and lay the groundwork for full measurement recommendations, this paper reviews a selection of official surveys fielded in OECD countries to understand patterns in data collection, establish priority areas for harmonisation, and create an inventory of available measures. The results are encouraging, in that all countries measure social connections. Yet challenges remain: (1) despite policy attention, loneliness is included in fewer than half of surveys, (2) there is little convergence in the actual indicators used to measure concepts like “loneliness”, “social support” or "frequency of socialising", and (3) survey frequency, particularly for time use, could be improved.

English

Keywords: social isolation, loneliness, social connections
JEL: I31: Health, Education, and Welfare / Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty / General Welfare; Well-Being; I12: Health, Education, and Welfare / Health / Health Behavior; C83: Mathematical and Quantitative Methods / Data Collection and Data Estimation Methodology; Computer Programs / Survey Methods; Sampling Methods
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