National welfare - kokuminjunfukushi

Japanese: 国民純福祉 - こくみんじゅんふくし

The concept of national income has been considered to quantitatively represent the scale of a country's economic activity and, by extension, to measure the level of national welfare. However, as economic development has led to a more complex social structure, circumstances have arisen in which a high national income does not necessarily translate into high national welfare. Factors that explain the discrepancy between the two include: (1) environmental deterioration, as seen in pollution and traffic accidents, reduces welfare; (2) military, police, general administrative expenses, pollution prevention expenses, commuting expenses, etc., are included in national income, but these are defensive offsetting factors against the decline in welfare and do not increase welfare; and (3) leisure time and housework by housewives are treated as activities outside the market and are not included in the increase in welfare.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

国民所得の概念は，一国の経済活動の規模を数量的に表すと同時に，ひいては国民福祉の水準を測定するものと考えられてきた。しかし経済発展にともなって社会構造が複雑化し，国民所得の大きいことがただちに国民福祉の大きいことにつながらないという事情が生じた。両者の乖離（かいり）を示す要因として，(1)公害･交通事故などにみられるように，環境の悪化が福祉を低下させている，(2)軍備･警察･一般行政費･公害防除費･通勤費などは国民所得に計上されているが，これらは福祉の低下に対する防御的相殺要因であって，福祉を高めない，(3)余暇，主婦の家事労働などは市場外の活動として扱われ，福祉の増大に計上されていない，といった点が指摘できる。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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