Definition
The Social Progress Index (SPI), published annually by the Social Progress Imperative, measures societal wellbeing across three dimensions:
- Basic Human Needs: Nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, shelter, personal safety
- Foundations of Wellbeing: Access to basic knowledge, access to information and communications, health and wellness, environmental quality
- Opportunity: Personal rights, personal freedom and choice, inclusiveness, access to advanced education
SPI explicitly excludes GDP — it measures social outcomes rather than economic inputs, making it complementary to GDP-based indicators.
Vision 2040 Targets
| Year | SPI Score | Global Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 (Baseline) | 68.2 | 66 |
| 2030 (Target) | >76.27 | Top 40 |
| 2040 (Target) | >86.76 | Top 20 |
A top-20 SPI by 2040 would place Oman alongside European countries and advanced Asian economies in social outcome quality.
Components and Oman’s Profile
Oman typically scores well on Basic Human Needs (healthcare, water, sanitation) but faces challenges on Opportunity dimensions (personal freedoms, political rights, inclusiveness). The SPI’s inclusion of civil liberties and political rights as components means that Gulf monarchies face structural limitations in achieving very high SPI scores without governance reforms.
Significance
SPI complements GDP-based measures by assessing whether economic growth translates into improved social conditions. Vision 2040’s use of SPI as a KPI reflects the commitment that economic transformation must produce observable improvements in Omani living standards and social outcomes — not merely macroeconomic growth.