Data-driven insights for a sustainable world
What are the Sustainable
Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
The 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice, among other priorities. The SDGs are deeply interconnected — action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Critically, the goals apply to all countries — not just developing nations. Every government, corporation, and citizen has a role to play. The 2030 Agenda recognises that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection and job opportunities.
193
UN member states adopted the 2030 Agenda on 25 September 2015
17
Sustainable Development Goals spanning all dimensions of human well-being
169
Targets defining what each goal means in measurable terms
232
Unique indicators used to track global progress toward the targets
15%
Of SDG targets currently on track — the world needs to accelerate 6× to meet 2030 (UN 2024)
$4T
Annual SDG financing gap — the difference between current flows and what is needed
From Rio to the 2030 Agenda
Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro — concept of sustainable development enters global policy
Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro — concept of sustainable development enters global policy
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted — 8 goals targeting poverty, health & education by 2015
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted — 8 goals targeting poverty, health & education by 2015
Rio+20 Summit — world leaders agree to create a new post-2015 development framework
Rio+20 Summit — world leaders agree to create a new post-2015 development framework
2030 Agenda adopted unanimously by 193 nations at UN General Assembly (25 September 2015)
2030 Agenda adopted unanimously by 193 nations at UN General Assembly (25 September 2015)
First SDG Summit — world leaders review progress; 2020 declared "Decade of Action"
First SDG Summit — world leaders review progress; 2020 declared "Decade of Action"
COVID-19 pandemic reverses 10 years of SDG progress in a single year
COVID-19 pandemic reverses 10 years of SDG progress in a single year
SDG Summit — leaders adopt political declaration acknowledging world is "far off track"
SDG Summit — leaders adopt political declaration acknowledging world is "far off track"
Deadline — all 17 goals must be achieved to fulfil the 2030 Agenda
Deadline — all 17 goals must be achieved to fulfil the 2030 Agenda
The Five Ps of the 2030 Agenda
The 2030 Agenda is organised around five critical dimensions — the Five Ps — that together define what sustainable development means in practice.
All 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Click any goal to explore its targets, indicators, and global progress data in our interactive dashboard.
The world is badly
off track for 2030
According to the UN SDG Progress Report 2024 and the Sustainable Development Report 2025 (SDSN), only about 15% of the 169 SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030. For many goals, progress has stalled or reversed — particularly in the wake of COVID-19, rising conflict, and the accelerating climate crisis.
The world must accelerate progress 6× faster than the current rate to meet the 2030 targets. Closing the SDG financing gap requires an additional $4 trillion per year. Without a dramatic course correction in the next 5 years, the 2030 deadline will be missed on almost every goal.
On Track
Moderate
Off Track
📎 Sources: UN SDG Progress Report 2024; SDSN Sustainable Development Report 2025
How SDG Progress Is Measured
SDG Index Score
The SDSN's Sustainable Development Report scores each country 0–100 on each goal, aggregated into an overall SDG Index. A score of 100 means all goals achieved. The 2025 global average is 66.1/100.
📎 SDSN: Sustainable Development Report 2025
UN Indicator Framework
The UN Statistical Commission oversees 232 unique indicators across 169 targets. National statistical offices report annually. Data coverage remains incomplete — 42 indicators lack sufficient global data.
📎 UN Statistics Division: SDG Indicators
Trend Classification
Each goal is classified as: On Track (will achieve by 2030), Moderate Progress (may achieve with acceleration), Stagnating (little change), or Declining (moving backward). 9 of 17 goals are declining.
📎 UN SDG Progress Report 2024
1,659 days remaining
The clock is running.
What will you do?
Track real progress on all 17 goals across 193 countries. Explore the data behind the headlines — country rankings, regional breakdowns, and year-by-year trends on our interactive global dashboard.
Data sources: UN SDG Progress Report 2024 · SDSN Sustainable Development Report 2025 · World Bank Poverty & Inequality Platform · WHO · FAO SOFI 2024 · IPCC AR6 · Our World in Data