The Index of Social Health
The Index of Social Health, the centerpiece of the Institute's work, monitors the social well-being of American society. It has been released annually by the Institute (formerly the Fordham Institute for Innovation in Social Policy) since 1987. Like the Index of Leading Economic Indicators or the Gross Domestic Product, it is a composite measure that combines multiple indicators to produce a single number.
The Index of Social Health is based on sixteen social indicators. These are: infant mortality, child poverty, child abuse, teenage suicide, teenage drug abuse, high school dropouts, unemployment, wages, health insurance coverage, poverty among the elderly, out-of-pocket health costs among the elderly, homicides, alcohol-related traffic fatalities, food stamp coverage, affordable housing, and income inequality.
The premise of the Index is that American life is revealed not by any single social issue, but by the combined effect of many issues, acting on each other. In looking at social problems that affect Americans at each stage of life—childhood, youth, adulthood, and the elderly—as well as problems that affect all ages, the Index seeks to provide a comprehensive view of the social health of the nation.
Click on the chart to view the numerical data as a table.
Current Findings
In 2006 (the latest year for which complete data are available), the Index of Social Health stood at 55 out of a possible 100. The Index has declined almost every year since hitting the relatively high score of 60 in the year 2000. This year’s performance represents an improvement of one point over 2005, but it marks the sixth consecutive year during which the Index has remained stuck in the mid-50s. Overall, between 1970 and 2006, the Index declined from 66 to 55, a drop of 17 percent.
Indicators
The Index of Social Health is composed of sixteen indicators. Grouped by stage of life, they are as follows:
| Children | Adults | All Ages |
|---|---|---|
|
Infant mortality Child abuse Child poverty |
Unemployment Average weekly wages Health insurance coverage |
Homicides Alcohol-related traffic fatalities Food stamp coverage Access to affordable housing Income inequality |
| Youth | Elderly | |
|
Teenage suicide Teenage drug abuse High school dropouts |
Poverty, ages 65 and over Out-of-pocket health costs, ages 65 and over |
The performance of the indicators since 1970 shows the following pattern:
| Progress | Lack of Progress |
|---|---|
Seven indicators have improved since 1970:
|
Nine indicators have worsened since 1970:
|
Indicator Definitions and Sources for 2006 Index of Social Health.