Abstract Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has long been used as a proxy for human progress, despite growing recognition of its limitations. Recently, numerous “beyond GDP” initiatives have emerged, promoting multidimensional dashboards to assess quality of life. However, these often lack a clear headline indicator, limiting their usefulness for policymaking and public communication. This paper argues for placing subjective well-being (SWB) at the center of progress measurement in dashboards. SWB captures the overall impact of life conditions on people’s lived experiences and offers a clear, outcome-oriented metric aligned with what truly matters: a good life. We explore how SWB can serve as a headline indicator, complemented by measures of the conditions that support it, to improve policy relevance, accountability, and legitimacy. We also address key measurement challenges and propose ways to overcome them for more effective integration into decision-making frameworks.

The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) is a widely used measure of quality of life (QoL) in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. However, existing studies have not examined their inter-relationships at the item level. The present study aimed to use a network approach to investigate the item-level connections among the QoL items and their linkages to spiritual well-being. The study recruited 843 middle-aged and older adults (Mage = 75.7, SD = 8.65) from elderly centres in Hong Kong in 2018–2020. Participants completed the WHOQOL-BREF and measures on spiritual well-being. Network analysis was used to examine the relationships among the WHOQOL-BREF items and spiritual well-being and identify the central and bridge nodes. The WHOQOL-BREF did not show a clear and interpretable 4-factor structure in the present sample and spiritual well-being showed a reliable three-factor structure (tranquility, disorientation, resilience). Network models found intertwined linkages across various QoL domains, particularly between physical and psychological QoL. Work capacity, Satisfaction with self, and Concentration were the bridge nodes in the WHOQOL-BREF network. Disorientation showed negative partial correlations with four QoL items (Life meaning, Affect, Concentration, Sleep). Tranquility showed a positive linkage with Affect and Resilience showed a positive linkage ) with Transport. There were no significant differences in the network structure or global strength across age groups and sensory impairment. The present study elucidates the complex inter-relationships among various QoL dimensions and supports mind-body connections in middle-aged and older adults. Our results support a holistic approach including spirituality to improve overall well-being.