Mapping the evolution of social life cycle assessment: a bibliometric and text-based SDG analysis (2010–2025)

Review article, 2026

Purpose – Social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) has developed as a key methodology for evaluating social impacts across the product life cycle. However, existing bibliometric reviews remain limited in temporal coverage and analytical scope. This study aims to providea broad, up-to-date analysis of S-LCAresearch from 2010 to 2025.
Design/methodology/approach – A TITLE-ABS-KEYsearch in Scopus identified 1, 008 English-language publicationscovering 2010–2025. Microsoft Excel and Python were used for descriptive analysis and visualisation. VOSviewer was used tomapco-authorship and keyword co-occurrence networks, and the text2sdg R package was usedto analyse textual alignment with the SDGs based on publication titles and abstracts.
Findings – S-LCA research showed a marked increase in recent years, with research activity concentrated in Europe. Four thematic clusters were identified: core S-LCA and LCA methodology; sustainability integration and decision-making; supply chains and social risk assessment; and circular economy and energy applications. The text-basedSDG analysisindicated the strongest textual alignment with SDG 12, followed by SDGs 7 and 8. However, severalsocially relevant goalsremained less visible.
Originality/value – This studyextends previous reviews through updated coverage to 2025 and a broader analytical framework integrating temporal, geographical, collaborative, thematic, methodological and SDG-related dimensions. It applies a population-normalised country analysis and examines the textual alignment of S-LCA publications with the SDGs. It also identifies areas in which S-LCA research and applications can be strengthened across research, policy, society and practice in engineering, design and technology.