Using big data and economics to understand and improve wellbeing

Abstract

Wellbeing and data are increasingly at the heart of government policy-making. In this Insight, we show how data, when combined with the underlying economics, can be used to improve wellbeing outcomes for New Zealanders. As a case study, we investigate whether increases in housing costs can have greater impacts on individuals with chronic health conditions (CHCs) compared to the rest of the population, in terms of where they choose to live.