Most people know Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the go to number to evaluate an economy's performance. It is often referenced in the news, sometimes directly, other times implied in discussions of economic recession, recovery or boom. But other indicators, further removed from the limelight, are also vital for economic analysis: for example, Household Disposable Income (HDI) helps us to monitor changes in money that households have available to either spend or save for the future. 
In this episode of OECD Podcasts, Ashley Ward goes behind the numbers to learn how they're compiled, what they're good for, and how they complement each other with the help of the National Accounts Division’s Sofia Sacks Ferrari and Philip Chan.

Host: Ashley Ward, Advisor and Communications Manager (Statistics and Data Directorate).
Guests: 
o	Sofia Sacks Ferrari, Statistician (National Accounts Unit)
o	Philip Chan, Analyst (National Accounts Unit)

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Decoding GDP: How to measure pastries, pencils, and pyjamas

How does the richest group of households in a country compare to the poorest? How can we expose the growing importance of the digital economy, often hidden in macroeconomic statistics? 
 These questions are at the centre of upcoming updates to the System of National Accounts (SNA), which aim to provide policymakers with the information required to better understand the distribution of income, consumption and saving, and the scale and impact of the digital transformation. 
 In this second episode of Behind the Numbers, Ashley Ward delves into the critical work that ensures ensure that the System of National Accounts (SNA), which provides the international standard for countries to measure their economies, keeps up with an ever-changing world, in conversation with Jorrit Zwijnenburg (Acting Head of National Accounts Division), Bram Edens (Environmental Accounts and Supply-use Tables), and former analyst Li Hiang Ng. 
Host: Ashley Ward, Advisor and Communications Manager (Statistics and Data Directorate).
Guests: 
- Jorrit Zwijnenburg, Acting Head of Division (National Accounts Division)
- Bram Edens, Head of the Environmental Accounts and Supply-use Tables Sections (National Accounts Division)
- Li Hiang Ng, Former Analyst (National Accounts Division)

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Better data for better policies: inequality and the digital economy

The COVID-19 pandemic brought health statistics into the spotlight, from tracking excess mortality to understanding the financial impact on healthcare systems. But health statistics are just as vital today as they were during the pandemic.
In this episode of Behind the Numbers, Ashley Ward is joined by OECD Head of Health Accounts David Morgan and Policy Analyst Gabriel di Paolantonio to discuss how health data, like expenditure and mortality trends, helps countries benchmark progress, build resilient health systems, and prepare for future crises.
Explore the work behind these datasets, from maintaining cross-country comparability to publishing real-time mortality statistics, and find out why OECD Health Statistics is a trusted resource for researchers and policy-makers alike, worldwide.
Host: Ashley Ward, Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)
Guests: 
- David Morgan, Head of Health Accounts, Health Division, (OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs)
- Gabriel di Paolantonio, Policy Analyst (Secretariat of the International Forum on TOSSD)

To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/en/about.html
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Why are health statistics some of the OECD’s most popular indicators?

On a daily basis, we’re faced with a deluge of online content, only swelling further with the mainstreaming of generative AI and rising political polarisation. Improving our joint understanding of how people consume news, and how effectively they distinguish between fact and fiction, is one of the key challenges of our time.  

The OECD Truth Quest Survey implements an innovative methodology to answer this question. With over 40,000 respondents across 21 countries, the survey provides unprecedented insights into media literacy and its implications for global policy making. 

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, our host Ashley Ward is joined by OECD Head of Digital Connectivity, Economics and Society Molly Lesher to discuss the dangers of misinformation, overcoming measurement challenges, and the survey results so far. 

 Explore the work behind this innovative survey and learn how policymakers can use this data to create targeted strategies to fight misinformation.

Host: Ashley Ward, Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)

Guest: Molly Lesher, Acting Head of the Digital Connectivity, Economics and Society Division (OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation)

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Can you handle the truth? Putting misinformation to the test with the OECD Truth Quest Survey

For far too long, healthcare performance indicators have centred on inputs—like funding and infrastructure—or processes—like hospital admissions or waiting times—without adequately capturing the experiences and outcomes of the people receiving care. 

The OECD’s PaRIS Survey upends that dynamic, shining a light on how older people with chronic conditions feel about their care, how healthy they really feel, and how their everyday lives are affected.

The latest figures are now out: with over 107K patients in over 1800 primary care practices across 19 countries, the survey highlights that living longer doesn’t always mean living better, especially if care experiences are poor and chronic conditions aren’t managed in a way that reflects patients needs.

In this episode of the Behind the Numbers podcast, our host Ashley Ward is joined by OECD Health Economists Frederico Guanais and Michael van den Berg to explore the work behind this innovative survey.

Learn how policymakers, healthcare providers, and patients themselves can use these data to drive more people-centred healthcare.

Host
Ashley Ward, Director’s Office Advisor and Communications Manager (OECD Statistics and Data Directorate)

Guests
Frederico Guanais, Deputy Head of Health Division (OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs)
Michael van den Berg, Senior Health Economist (OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs)

To learn more about policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/programmes/patient-reported-indicator-surveys-paris.html

To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/en/about.html
To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/
Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/en/about/newsletters.html


Does healthcare deliver for patients? Insights from OECD’s PaRIS initiative

How can we all help shape better policies for better lives? OECD Podcasts bring you insightful interviews with experts and well-known personalities on such pressing challenges as inequality and inclusive growth, the economy, jobs, the digital transformation, climate change, the environment, education, healthcare, tax, trade, international co-operation, and more.


NOTE: The opinions expressed and arguments employed in the content displayed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the OECD, its Member countries, or any stakeholders who have contributed to or participated in any related work.

New tracks tagged #OECDStats