Measuring Inclusive Development in Iran (1981-2016)

The concept of “inclusive development” has been expanded with the aim of placing special emphasis on the social and political aspects of development. In explaining this concept, the focus of how well-being is distributed to different sections of society, especially disadvantaged groups and social minorities (such as youth, women, ethnic minorities, religious minorities, etc.), is at stake. The purpose of the present study is to provide an index for evaluating the inclusiveness of development in Iran in the post-revolutionary years (1981-2016).

This study, using statistical data based on the method of constructing composite indices, has prepared a development index consisting of five dimensions and 10 components for measuring the status of development inclusiveness in Iran.

The index of inclusive development has improved over the last three decades, but the progression process in the last decade has faced severe shocks and has not yet returned to its previous position.

The present study can show the instability and irreversibility of development achievements in Iran. These results also indicate that over the past decade, there has been a divergence between economic growth with other development variables that means economic growth has been achieved at the expense of environmental degradation, reduced social solidarity and the loss of rights of future generations, and overall decline in inclusion.