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Seven ways to think like a 21st century economist. A compass for meeting the needs of all people within the means of the living planet.
Doughnut Economics combines the Planetary Boundaries with social foundations to create a powerful visual framework for a safe and just space for humanity. It helps communities, cities, and regions reimagine progress, shifting away from extractive growth toward a wellbeing economy.
Developed by economist Kate Raworth, this framework offers a radical rethink of 20th-century economic theory. At its heart is the doughnut: a visual framework shaped by two concentric rings. The inner ring represents the social foundation—what every person needs to lead a dignified life (such as food, health, education, and equity). The outer ring reflects the ecological ceiling—derived from the nine Planetary Boundaries identified by the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
Between these two rings lies the “safe and just space” for humanity—a doughnut-shaped zone where everyone's needs are met without overshooting Earth’s ecological limits.
This framework offers a practical compass for 21st-century decision-making. It’s already being used by communities, cities (like Amsterdam), and regions to guide regenerative and distributive economic strategies. The Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) provides resources, stories, and tools to help embed this thinking at local and global scales.
By centering both people and planet, Doughnut Economics helps us envision—and start building—economies that are in service to life.
Links:
Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)
Book: Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
Watch: Kate Raworth Introduction to Doughnut Economics
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