An annual deep dive into the wellbeing of Australia's cities and regions looking beyond GDP.

For over ten years, SGS has reported on the state of the economy and the economic performance of Australia's cities and regions. The SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index (CRWI) is a continuation of this work and a first-of-its-kind report that considers how place impacts community wellbeing.

The link between physical and mental health and the local economy is often overlooked in traditional economic assessments. Where people live greatly affects their wellbeing and overall quality of life. Despite Gross Domestic Product (GDP) being widely used, it doesn't fully capture the complexities of wellbeing.

The CRWI addresses this gap by examining socio-economic wellbeing on a local government area level. It presents GDP broken down into economic activity in the local regions, Gross Regional Product (GRP), alongside six other wellbeing indicators–income and wealth, employment knowledge and skills, housing, health, equality and community, and the environment–to create a more nuanced understanding of how place shapes people’s lives.

Released annually, the CRWI is a tool for policy experts and decision-makers to create the impact that matters most to communities. We invite you to explore the report and interactive dashboard.

This research project is self-funded by SGS Economics and Planning and managed by Julian Szafraniec and Michelle Tjondro.

Join the conversation

  • Online Zoom Webinar
  • Thursday 16 May
  • 12.30 pm - 1.30 pm (AEST)

Hear from Julian Szafraniec and Michelle Tjondro, authors of the SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index report, as they discuss the most recent findings and data trends. They will be accompanied by Justine Linley, Director of Sustainable Development at Corangamite Shire Council, and Beck Dawson, Chief Resilience Officer at Resilient Sydney, who will provide useful advice on using wellbeing data for making informed decisions and improving community resilience.

Register now

SGS Economics and Planning CRWI2024 Cover

Read the report


Explore the dashboard

Tip! Use Google Chrome for optimal use

About the dashboard

The SGS Cities and Regions Wellbeing Index dashboard lets anyone explore the wellbeing framework and compare their local area's wellbeing with others across Australia.

There are two ways to view the data:

Interactive Map

Explore locations on an interactive map. See the wellbeing scores across the seven dimensions of data for each local government area, and choose which dimensions are important to you to see how they affect the overall score.

Information View

Select your local government area and a comparison region to analyse. Explore the seven wellbeing dimensions to understand the data metrics and trends behind each index.

Past reports

Browse our previous SGS Cities & Regions Wellbeing Index reports

Get in touch

Work with us on projects that matter.