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)

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

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

Guest: Frida Grundhal, Project Co-ordinator, Yalla Trappan.
In this edition of OECD Podcasts, Katrina Baker and Shayne MacLachlan are Joined by Frida Grundahl from Yalla Trappen; a groundbreaking social enterprise dedicated to creating job opportunities and fostering financial independence for Sweden’s foreign-born women. Statistically, foreign-born women are said to be one of the most distant from the labour market and Yalla Trappen is working to empower these women by giving them an opportunity to break down their social isolation, and to help them stand on their own two feet financially.
In their conversation, Shayne and Frida discuss examples of Yalla Trappen’s work and strategies, the struggles of establishing a non-profit in a competitive environment and how Yalla Trappen has partnered with business and local government to crack policy challenges regarding foreign-born women and getting them meaningful employment.

For more on OECD Local Development https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/local-development.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

Breaking barriers to the labour market for women with Yalla Trappen

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)

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

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
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

Why are health statistics some of the OECD’s most popular indicators?

President Trump sets the tone for the tax year by withdrawing America from the OECD Two-Pillar international tax proposal and fires a warning shot about retaliatory tax proposals. Meanwhile is the recent increase to the International Visitor's Levy a harbinger of things to come? Inland Revenue's crackdown on parents receiving overpayments of working for families credits. 

Trump withdraws America from the OECD Two-Pillar proposal, IRD gets tough with parents

The OECD launched the Economic Survey of Ireland 2025 on Wednesday,12 February 2025. The biennial Survey provides detailed analysis of economic developments and key structural challenges, as well as making specific policy recommendations in these areas. This year’s Economic Survey contains an in-depth thematic chapter entitled 'Making housing more affordable and resilient for all’, in addition to exploring recent economic developments, competitiveness, and the green transition.

About the Speakers:

Paschal Donohoe is the Minister for Finance. He was appointed to this role on 23 January 2025. Before this, he served as Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Minister Donohoe was elected President of the Eurogroup of finance ministers in July 2020 for a two-and-a-half-year term. He was re-elected in December 2022, beginning his second mandate in January 2023.

Álvaro S. Pereira is the OECD Chief Economist and G20 Finance Deputy. He oversees the Economics Department and ensures they are at the forefront of the international political economy agenda. He identifies ways in which the OECD can promote policies to improve member and partner countries long-term economic performance. Previously, he was  the Director in the OECD Policy Studies Branch and OECD Country Studies Branch. Prior to the OECD, Mr Pereira was Minister for Economy and Employment in Portugal (2011- 2013) and was also a Professor at Simon Fraser University, Canada, a Lecturer at the University of British Columbia, Canada and at the University of York, UK.

Müge Adalet McGowan is a Senior Economist and Head of the Japan/Ireland desk in the Economics Department at the OECD. Since joining the OECD in 2011, she has worked at several desks (Spain, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden) and the Productivity team, where she conducted policy research on productivity, insolvency regimes, and skill mismatches. Before joining the OECD, she worked as a Lecturer in Turkey and New Zealand, and as an economist at the New Zealand Treasury. She holds a PhD in Economics from University of California, Berkeley.

Dr Martina Lawless is a Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Before joining the ESRI, she received her doctorate from Trinity College Dublin and worked as a research economist at the Central Bank of Ireland.  Her research has focused primarily on firm-level dynamics and decision making, covering a range of topics, such as access to finance for small and medium firms, effects of taxation, and participation in exporting. More recently, she has investigated the potential effects of Brexit and COVID-19 on firms in Ireland.  Her work has been published in a number of leading international academic and policy journals.  From 2017 to 2020, she was a member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and she spent 2023-2024 on secondment to the Strategic Economic Development section of the Department of Finance.

John McCarthy is the Chief Economist in the Department of Finance, with responsibility for the provision of economic and budgetary analysis and forecasts. He is currently the vice-chair of the OECD’s Economic Policy Committee and an advisor to the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council; he was previously the chair of the European Union’s output gap working group and a member of the National Statistics Board. He holds a B.A. in Economics and Mathematics from Trinity College Dublin and an M.Econ.Sc from UCD. He previously worked as a senior economist in the Central Bank of Ireland.

This event was co-organised with the Department of Finance and the OECD.

OECD Economic Survey of Ireland 2025 Launch

Volunteers are the beating heart of any event, from the Olympics to your local school sports day. But beyond the medals and podiums, what impact does volunteering have on individuals, communities, and the broader economy?

In this episode, we speak to Max Jablonowski and Betty Anne Bryce, who volunteered at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They share their behind-the-scenes experiences, the personal and professional skills they gained, and why volunteering is a powerful force for social good. They also explain what policy makers can do to support and sustain this essential activity.

So, join us as we explore the people-powered force behind the Olympics and discuss how we can harness its full potential for communities everywhere.

Host: Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities

Guests:
- Max Jablonowski, Communications Manager for Business at OECD
- Betty-Ann Bryce, Senior Policy Analyst at the OECD (Centre for Entrepreneurship, Regions, and Cities in the Regional and Rural Unit)

To learn more about the report: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/unleashing-the-potential-of-volunteering-for-local-development_deab71bd-en.html
Discover the OECD involvement: https://www.oecd.org/en/networks/oecd-local-development-forum.html

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

Winners without medals: The legacy of volunteers

https://www.hanf-magazin.com/allgemeines-zum-thema-hanf/gesellschaft-soziales/cannabisverbote-haben-nur-wenig-einfluss-auf-den-konsum/

Aktuelle Daten der Europäischen Kommission und der OECD zeigen, dass die nationale Gesetzgebung kaum Einfluss auf den Cannabiskonsum hat. In Frankreich, das eine der strengsten Verbotspolitiken Europas verfolgt, wird ähnlich viel Cannabis konsumiert wie in Spanien, das eine deutlich liberalere Politik hat. Die höchsten Konsumraten finden sich in der Tschechischen Republik, Italien, Frankreich und Spanien, während Länder mit harten Verboten wie Ungarn oder die Türkei zu den niedrigsten gehören. Gleichzeitig sinkt der Unterschied zwischen männlichen und weiblichen Konsumenten – ein Wandel, den Langzeitstudien bestätigen. Laut Epidemiologin Sabrina Molinaro zeigen ihre seit den 1990er Jahren laufenden Untersuchungen, dass sich Konsumgewohnheiten über Generationen hinweg kaum verändern. Die Zahlen machen deutlich, dass die Kriminalisierung von Konsumenten kein wirksames Mittel ist, um den Gebrauch einzudämmen. Fast ein Drittel der Europäer hat bereits illegale Drogen konsumiert – ein Umstand, der zeigt, dass Strafverfolgung nicht die Lösung sein kann. Malta hat Cannabis entkriminalisiert und gehört dennoch zu den Ländern mit dem geringsten Konsum. Die Debatte über eine sinnvolle Regulierung gewinnt somit weiter an Relevanz.

Cannabisverbote haben nur wenig Einfluss auf den Konsum

What happens when First Nations take the lead in shaping the future of clean energy and infrastructure in Indigenous communities? In this episode, we hear from Mark Podlasly, CEO of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) and member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia. He speaks with Sinead Teevan from the OECD about how the coalition is helping First Nations secure ownership in major energy and infrastructure projects. The FNMPC, now representing 175 communities across Canada, focuses on the economic, environmental, and public policy interests of its members.
 
Together, they explore the power of Indigenous consent, the importance of equitable partnerships, and why integrating Indigenous values into policy and investment decisions isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s essential for reaching climate goals and long-term prosperity. With real-world examples, from clean energy projects to revenue-sharing agreements, this conversation highlights how economic reconciliation is not only possible, but already underway in Canada.
 
Looking ahead, Mark shares a bold vision: Indigenous communities not only participating in, but leading, global investment through Indigenous-controlled capital. And the world is taking notice. Groups from Australia, New Zealand, the US, and Latin America are reaching out to learn how First Nations in Canada are achieving results. 

Host: Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities

Guests:
Sinead Teevan is currently working as a Policy Consultant at the OECD, working on regional, rural and urban development. She is Indigenous from Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario, and has gained valuable experience in various roles, including as a Policy Intern at the Ministry of Energy in Ontario. Additionally, she been an active member of the Indigenous Student Association at Western University.
 
Mark Podlasly, a member of the Nlaka’pamux Nation in British Columbia, is CEO of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) in Canada. FNMPC is a national organization of 175+ Indigenous communities working to ensure environmental and economic values are reflected in major projects on traditional territories. He has global experience leading large-scale energy and infrastructure projects and has delivered strategy programs for companies like Unilever and Goldman Sachs. A frequent contributor on Indigenous-industry economic reconciliation, his work spans ESG, climate policy, and governance.

To learn more about policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/regional-rural-and-urban-development.html

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

Power Shift: When First Nations Lead the Future

What happens when we flip the urban planning script — putting people, not cars, at the heart of our cities and regions? In this 15-minute episode, Professor Carlos Moreno - creator of the “15-minute city” and now a leading voice behind the “30-minute region” - joins the OECD’s Soo-Jin Kim to explore how we can build more inclusive, connected and resilient places.

From the sidewalks of Paris to rural areas reimagining public services, Carlos shares a bold vision of proximity, empowerment, and local opportunity. Tune in to hear how the future of urban and regional development might be just around the corner — literally.

Host: Shayne MacLachlan, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities

Guests:
Carlos Moreno is a Franco-Colombian researcher and Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, internationally recognised for developing the 15-minute city concept. He is currently expanding his work through the “30-minute region,” a model designed to bring proximity and accessibility to entire territories beyond urban centres. Carlos serves as Scientific Director of the ETI Chair (“Entrepreneurship – Territory – Innovation”) and advises cities and international organisations on urban innovation and sustainable planning.

Soo-Jin Kim is Head of the Urban Policies and Reviews Unit at the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities. Her work focuses on helping national and local governments shape more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities. She leads cross-country reviews, develops policy guidance, and brings international perspectives to urban development challenges.

To learn more about policy area: https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/urban-development.html

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

From the 15-minute city to the 30-minute region: Rethinking how we live and connect

hanf-magazin.com ist das größte deutschsprachige Magazin zum Thema Hanf.

Sharing Ideas Shaping Policy. The Institute of International and European Affairs is an independent policy research think-tank based in Dublin.

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.

Tax changes how business and people live and work.  Each week we discuss tax news and how it affects you.  Tax is an important policy lever for Government and cross-border tax for global corporations is an issue for Tax and Fairness.

New tracks tagged #oecd