If considered as an independent nation, California would be the world’s 4th largest economy, but is it providing a good life for all within the means of the planet? This report provides a new narrative about the purpose of the economy and a holistic set of science-backed indicators that help tell that story. The California Doughnut Snapshot examines 42 social and ecological indicators to provide a concise visual assessment of economic performance. The goal of this report is to serve as a compass to help orient California towards a society which meets the needs of all people within the limits of the planet. This is divided into 3 main objectives: 1) provide a snapshot of California’s social and ecological performance, 2) reorient California’s economic goals towards well-being and sustainability, and 3) inspire wider adoption of this framework within local governments, educational institutions, and community organizations. We considered over 200 indicators and selected around 100 as potential fits for the 21 categories generally included in Doughnut Assessments. We collaborated with academic, government and nongovernmental organizations, and community groups across the state to narrow down and improve this list. The social foundation is made up of 24 representative indicators divided into 12 categories, while the ecological ceiling consists of 18 representative indicators divided into 9 categories. Around 50% of the indicators are documented by government agencies, 30% by NGO reports, and 20% by academic reports and peer-reviewed articles. Alongside the indicators, targets, and overshoot/shortfall, the report includes a brief report for each of the 21 categories. These include relevant indicators that were not selected as representative indicators, context and background, policy measures that have been implemented in California and change over time, and a discussion of justice focusing on inequality within the state and between nations. While California is the richest state in the US, it is falling short on 100% of the social indicators assessed. Despite being well known as a leader on environmental issues, California is overshooting 89% of ecological indicators assessed. The average social shortfall is 34% and the average ecological overshoot is 286%. The Doughnut Snapshot offers an indictment of relying on GDP as the primary way to measure economic achievement, while proposing more meaningful indicators of social and ecological wellbeing in California.

Please cite Alaitz Aritza and Julian Kraus-Polk as lead coauthors, followed by the other project members. Example for in-text citation below: (Aritza and Kraus-Polk et al., 2025) OR (Kraus-Polk and Aritza et al., 2025)