Progress studies is an intellectual movement focused on "figuring out why progress happens and how to make it happen faster." The term "progress studies" was coined in a 2019 article for The Atlantic, entitled "We Need a New Science of Progress" by Tyler Cowen and Patrick Collison.

The movement examines progress in standards of living through the lens of science, technology, economics, history, philosophy and culture. It includes work on the definition and measurement of progress, as well as policies and programs aimed at improving the rate of technological innovation.

Following publication of the key article, Cowen and Collison were hosted by Mark Zuckerberg for a podcast. Around the same time, Jason Crawford committed full-time to his popular blog "The Roots of Progress", calling for "a clearer understanding of the nature of progress, its causes, its value and importance, how we can manage its costs and risks, and ultimately how we can accelerate progress while ensuring that it is beneficial to humanity." Roots of Progress has since grown into a research institute, awarding grants to fellows. Elsewhere, the online magazine Works in Progress was established by Sam Bowman, Saloni Dattani, Ben Southwood and Nick Whitaker in 2020, "dedicated to sharing new and underrated ideas to improve the world". The publication was later purchased by Stripe Press in 2022. Alec Stapp and Caleb Watney founded the Institute for Progress think tank in 2021, a "non-partisan research and advocacy organization dedicated to accelerating scientific, technological, and industrial progress while safeguarding humanity's future."

The emerging field has influenced broader political discourse, notably in the United States of America. In response to Cowen and Collison's article, New York Times columnist Ezra Klein wrote: "The questions animating progress studies aren't mere academic exercises; they are central to understanding how we can bring about a better future for all." In a subsequent article about supply-side progressivism, Klein wrote that progressive politics "requires a movement that takes innovation as seriously as it takes affordability."

Jason Crawford, founder of the Roots of Progress Institute, has said that "Progress is anything that helps human beings live better lives: longer, happier, healthier, in mind, body, and spirit." Humans have experienced unprecedented progress over the last century as measured by the proportion of people living in extreme poverty, life expectancy, education, and the amount of leisure time people have. However, according to Our World in Data, over 90% of people think the world is getting worse or staying the same. Progress studies advocates believe that the world has gotten better, while also believing that there is a lot of room for improvement, and that humanity should continue to strive for an even better future.

A coarse but commonly used indicator of progress and economic growth is gross domestic product. In "Stubborn Attachments", Tyler Cowen wrote:

[...] growth alleviates misery, improves happiness and opportunity, and lengthens lives. Wealthier societies have better living standards, better medicines, and offer greater personal autonomy, greater fulfillment, and more sources of fun.

Critics of progress studies say that the movement focuses too much on total growth and not enough on inequality. However supply-side progressives in particular do aim to distribute wealth more fairly, for example through housing policy reform efforts to reduce rents paid to landlords and allow more people to move to cities with higher paying opportunities.