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About the WISE Horizons Database

Transparency and credibility in data collection and analysis

The WISE Database is a repository of Beyond-GDP indexes, hosted by the Institute for Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University.

The project began in 2020 as a Citizen Science initiative by WEAll, with support from UNU’s WISE Transformation Initiative. Since 2023, it has been funded by the WISE Horizons project (EU Horizon Europe GA 101095219), led by a consortium including CML, ZOE Institute, Paris School of Economics, CUSP, and others. Additional backing comes from the Chinese Scientific Council. We thank all sponsors and encourage you to join the WISE Horizons Network.

Data Availability

The WISE database has two files: One for Beyond-GDP indexes (such as Human Development Indexes and Comprehensive Wealth) and one for Beyond-GDP indicators (such as Life Expectancy, Years of Education).

Scope

The scope of the WISE database is:

  • Countries – The WISE database aims to provide data for all countries of the world. For many index/indicator data is available for around 140-180 countries.
  • Years – The WISE database provides historical (from 1820 and 1950) and contemporary data (1990 and 2010).

The WISE database is constantly being updated in order to provide the most up-to-date information. The date of the version is recorded in the filename. The data can be requested by filling out the contact form and selecting “data request”. If you want to be kept up to date about revisions of the database, go to the contact form.

Data Availability

The table below shows the latest version of the WISE Database (15 May 2023). Information about sources and other documentation is included in the data files, which you can request.

Indexes

Index Name Acronym Countries Oldest Year Latest Year
Composite Measure of Wellbeing (Historic Series) CLIO-CMW 193 1820 2000
Comprehensive Wealth WB-CW 149 1995 2018
Comprehensive Wealth per capita WB-CWPC 149 1995 2018
Gender Equality Index EIGE-GEI 27 2013 2022
Augmented Human Development Index AHDI 153 1870 2020
Ecological Ceiling-Co2 Emissions PB-EC-CO2 148 1992 2015
Ecological Ceiling-Ecological Footprint PB-EC-EF 148 1992 2015
Ecological Ceiling-Land-Use Change PB-EC-LUC 148 1992 2015
Ecological Ceiling-Material Footprint PB-EC-MF 148 1992 2015
Ecological Ceiling-Nitrogen PB-EC-N 148 1992 2015
Ecological Ceiling-Phosphorus PB-EC-P 148 1992 2015
Coefficient Of Human Inequality UNDP-CHI 165 2010 2021
Gender Development Index UNDP-GDI 172 1990 2021
Gender Inequality Index UNDP-GII 170 1990 2021
Human Development Index UNDP-HDI 191 1990 2021
Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index UNDP-IHDI 165 2010 2021
Planetary Pressures-Adjusted Human Development Index UNDP-PHDI 155 1990 2021
Multidimensional Poverty Index UNDP-MPI 129 2010 2022
Life Evaluation Index GL-LEI 165 2005 2021
Benefits And Cost Experienced BCE 15 1995 2018

Data Availability

The table below shows the latest version of the WISE Database (15 May 2023). Information about sources and other documentation is included in the data files, which you can request.

Indicators

Indicator Name Acronym Countries Oldest Year Latest Year
Population, Total WB-POP-TOTAL 217 1960 2021
Gini Index WB-GINI 168 1967 2021
Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions WB-GHG-TOTAL 191 1990 2019
Gdp Per Capita WB-GDP PC 211 1960 2021
People Using Safely Managed Drinking Water Services (% Of Population) WB-DWS 131 2000 2020
Produced Capital WB-CW-PC 189 1995 2018
Net Foreign Assets WB-CW-NFA 189 1995 2018
Natural Capital WB-CW-NC 200 1995 2018
Human Capital WB-CW-HC 157 1995 2018
Access To Electricity (% Of Population) WB-ATE 216 1990 2020
Proportion Of Seats Held By Women In The National Parliament UNDP-PR-F 193 1990 2021
Mean Years Of Schooling UNDP-MYS 191 1990 2021
Material Footprint Per Capita UNDP-MF 157 1990 2021
Life Expectancy At Birth UNDP-LE 195 1990 2021
Inequality In Life Expectancy UNDP-INEQ-LE 195 2010 2021
Inequality In Income UNDP-INEQ-INC 171 2010 2021
Inequality In Education UNDP-INEQ-EDU 182 2010 2021
Expected Years Of Schooling UNDP-EYS 193 1990 2021
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita (Production) UNDP-CO2-PROD 193 1990 2021
Autocracy-Democracy Index (Historic Series) CLIO-POLITY2 162 1800 2012
Mean Species Abundance (Historic Series) CLIO-MSA 180 1500 2010
Life Expectancy At Birth, Total (Historic Series) CLIO-LEAB 180 1543 2012
Income Inequality (Historic Series) CLIO-INCINQ 127 1820 2000
Homicide Rates (Historic Series) CLIO-HOMICIDE 176 1800 2010
Gdp Per Capita (Historic Series) CLIO-GDPPC 164 1500 2016
Average Years Of Education (Historic Series) CLIO-AVEEDUYEAR 138 1820 2010

Data Request

Request access to the WISE Database files and documentation.

Request Access

If you would like to have access to the detail data files of the WISE database (indexes and indicators), please fill out the contact form and select “Data request”.

The database cannot be used for commercial purposes and if you use it for scientific, press or other publications we kindly ask you to cite the source: www.Beyond-GDP.world. The suggested citation is:

  • CML (Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden), 2023. www.Beyond-GDP.world. Database version [date], Leiden University.

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