A snapshot of California, 2025
California's economy is more than its GDP. The Doughnut reveals what traditional economic metrics miss.
Published in November 2025, the California Doughnut is the first state-level adaptation of Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics framework. CalDEC built it over two years of research with academic, government, and community partners, examining 42 indicators across 21 dimensions of social wellbeing and ecological health. Its purpose: to give California a compass for an economy that meets everyone's needs within the limits of the planet.
Click any wedge to see where California stands on that dimension.
CalDEC built the California Doughnut over two years of research, in collaboration with academic, government, and community partners across the state. The team considered more than 200 candidate indicators and selected 42 representative ones across 21 categories: 24 social indicators measuring whether Californians have what they need, and 18 ecological indicators measuring whether our economic activity is staying within Earth's limits.
Around half of the indicators draw from government sources, with the rest from NGO reports and peer-reviewed academic work.
The framework scales. Several California cities are building their own.
Lead: Lisa Charpontier
Working with the Office of Sustainability on housing and air-quality indicators.
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Lead: Declan Tomlinson
Coastal Southern California Doughnut group taking shape.
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Lead: Kyle Ciullo
Civic-tech partnership translating budget allocations into Doughnut categories.
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Lead: Amelia Eichel
Coastal county piloting an ecological-ceiling assessment with marine focus.
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Lead: Kyle Ciullo
County-level partnership focused on social equity and housing affordability.
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Lead: TBC
Sierra Nevada foothills Doughnut group in early formation.
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Lead: Amelia Eichel
Small-city pilot integrating the Doughnut into the General Plan update.
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Working on a Doughnut for your city? Get in touch →
Changing the dominant economic paradigm will take a community. There is a place for everyone to contribute meaningfully.
Tell us how you'd like to helpUpcoming event
FEATURED EVENT
October 21, 2026 · 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM PDT
For GDD 2026, CalDEC will host an online introduction to Doughnut Economics that connects participants from across California with emerging city initiatives and future local opportunities.