There is no widely recognised, monetary measure of a country's natural, human and physical assets. Economists usually make do with GDP (which anyway gauges income rather than assets). A report published today offers a broader indicator: “inclusive wealth”. The report puts a dollar value on three kinds of asset: “manufactured” capital (roads, buildings, machinery and so on); human capital (people’s skills and health); and natural capital (including forests and fossil fuels). America’s GDP is around $15 trillion; its inclusive wealth is about ten times higher. The report, though, has some depressing messages. From 1992 to 2010 global GDP increased by 50%, but inclusive wealth rose by just 6%. Some countries had unusual results: Qatar’s GDP per person rose by 85%; but thanks to depletion of its natural resources, inclusive wealth fell by more than 50%. Some may blanch at putting a price tag on forests and education; but policymakers should take note.