Beyond GDP in an island region: constructing a capability-oriented well-being index for Corsica

Source abstract

In a context where growth-centred development approaches are increasingly questioned, this paper develops a fine-grained diagnosis of objective well-being in Corsica using the OppChoLiv index, a capability-oriented composite indicator designed to move beyond GDP-centred assessments. Using 2022 data for 360 municipalities, we show that well-being inequalities are not organised around a simple island-wide divide. Instead, Corsica exhibits a patterned geography: major urban centres record comparatively low scores, several peri-urban belts reach higher levels and agricultural as well as remote rural areas display persistent vulnerability. These results speak to the ‘left-behind places’ debate by revealing localised clusters where constraints often associated with left-behind trajectories compound – housing stress, lower incomes, employment instability and weaker access to everyday services – while also showing that such pockets coexist with more advantaged areas within an island region that remains highly residentially and touristically attractive. This suggests that ‘left-behindness’ is better understood here as a multidimensional and spatially uneven condition, concentrated in specific municipalities where multiple constraints cumulate, rather than as a label for the region as a whole. The findings support differentiated, place-based policy mixes and highlight the value of complementing composite indicators with subjective and qualitative evidence on residents’ relationships to place in island contexts.