Introduction to Quality Growth: Concept, Theoretical Background, Policy and Measurement

The “quality growth” addressed in this volume is a forward-looking paradigm of development that transcends the conventional focus on the expansion of production and income and embraces the vital, human-centric dimensions of inclusiveness, sustainability, and resilience. It has been designated as a strategic priority in Japan’s Development Cooperation Charter, and in alignment with this policy, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has embraced quality growth, alongside human security, as a central mission in its cooperation with developing countries.

This book seeks to address profound and practical questions raised by the quality growth approach, including what inclusiveness, sustainability, and resilience entail, how they intersect with growth, how quality growth can be measured, and above all, how it can be achieved in concrete terms. It offers a comprehensive examination of the concept from the perspective of economic theory, as well as from ongoing efforts to measure its progress.