Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Mobile broadband coverage
96% (est)
ITU estimate · 2025
Global R&D spending (% of GDP)
1.93% (est)
UNESCO estimate · 2025
Manufacturing growth rate
2.9% (est)
UNIDO estimate · 2025
Manufacturing employment share
13.9% (est)
UNIDO estimate · 2025
Global Progress Score
Based on Sustainable Development Report 2025
Historical Trend (2015–2025)
Regional Comparison (2025)
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure — Score per Country (2025)
Each country is scored 0–100 based on its progress toward this goal. Drag to rotate. Hover or tap a country to see its score.
Key Targets
SDR 2025 scores SDG 9 at 58.3/100 globally. The digital divide is narrowing (2.4 billion offline projected for 2025) but the quality gap — fast broadband vs. 2G/3G-only access — is widening. Global AI investment exceeded $500 billion in 2024 but is 90% concentrated in the US, China, and UK. The clean industry transition faces a critical materials bottleneck: lithium, cobalt, and nickel supply chains are projected to be 30–50% short of net-zero requirements by 2030 (IEA Critical Minerals Outlook 2024).
$500B+
in global AI investment in 2024 — 90% concentrated in 3 countries, creating a new and potentially permanent digital divide between tech-leading and technology-importing nations.
Stanford HAI: AI Index Report 2025; IEA Critical Minerals Outlook 2024
Key Insights
The Infrastructure Deficit
Low and middle-income countries face a $2.5 trillion annual infrastructure gap in transport, energy, water, and digital connectivity. Infrastructure investment drives growth (every $1 in infrastructure yields $1.50 in GDP), yet financing constraints and governance gaps keep essential investments out of reach.
Missing Industrialization
Sub-Saharan Africa contributes only 1.8% of global manufacturing value added despite holding 17% of world population. Manufacturing is the traditional pathway out of poverty (it drove Asia's economic miracles), but Africa's industrialization window may narrow as automation reduces labor advantages.
The Digital Divide
2.9 billion people remain offline. In least developed countries, 64% lack internet access. The divide is deepest in rural areas and for women. As AI reshapes the global economy, countries without digital infrastructure risk permanent economic exclusion from the 21st-century economy.
The Innovation Gap
High-income countries file 70% of global patents and spend 2.7% of GDP on R&D vs. 0.4% in low-income countries. Intellectual property regimes limit technology transfer. The AI revolution is primarily concentrated in 3-4 tech companies in 2 countries — a profound concentration of transformative power.
Core Challenges
Decarbonizing Industry
Industry accounts for 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions; steel, cement, and chemicals are the hardest to abate. Decarbonizing these sectors requires breakthrough technologies (green hydrogen, carbon capture) and massive capital — exactly what developing countries lack.
Debt Limits Infrastructure Investment
Many low-income countries are in debt distress, crowding out infrastructure budgets. The International Development Finance Club (IDFC) has called for restructuring mechanisms that free up fiscal space specifically for SDG-aligned investment.
Technology Transfer
The 2030 Agenda explicitly calls for technology transfer to developing countries — but progress is minimal. Patent protections, trade secrecy, and lack of absorptive capacity all create barriers. Open-source innovation and licensing agreements are under-utilized tools.
2030 Outlook
AI and digital technology offer the biggest leapfrogging opportunity for developing countries since mobile phones. Countries that invest in digital literacy, open internet, and local innovation ecosystems now will be positioned to participate in the next economic leap. The window to shape a more equitable digital order is open — but narrowing.