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Sustainable Development Goals Are We On Track For 2030 World

Leo Migdal
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sustainable development goals are we on track for 2030 world

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are targets for global development that were adopted in 2015. All countries have agreed to work towards achieving them by 2030. Our SDG Tracker presents data across all available indicators from the Our World in Data database, using official statistics from the UN and other international organizations. This free, open-access information tracks global progress towards the SDGs and allows people worldwide to hold their governments accountable for achieving the agreed goals. Data is available for many indicators, but there are still gaps. We hope this collaborative approach allows us to support the UN in developing the most complete and up-to-date sources for tracking global progress.

Our original SDG Tracker was published in 2018, and this revised version was launched in 2023. We will keep this up-to-date with the most recent data and SDG developments through the end of the 2030 Agenda. Our articles and data visualizations rely on work from many different people and organizations. When citing this article, please also cite the underlying data sources. This article can be cited as: Sign up to our weekly and monthly, easy-to-digest recap of climate news from around the world.

2025 marks 10 years since the adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 goals and 169 targets to ensure human well-being, economic prosperity and environmental protection simultaneously. A decade after world nations agreed on a set of goals to guide global sustainable development, progress remains “alarmingly off track”, according to a new report. Compiled by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and now in its tenth edition, the report found that none of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is on track to be achieved by 2030, and... Adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, the SDGs comprise 17 goals and 169 targets providing a footprint for a global partnership between developed and developing countries to achieve economic prosperity, environmental... The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization was quite clear in the release of its nutrition flagship report earlier this week that it is far off from reaching the organization’s goal of ending world... In fact, the subtarget of undernourishment and food insecurity is currently listed as backsliding by the UN, as its status is worse now than when the goals were adopted in 2015.

This is sadly a reality for much of the 2030 SDG agenda, as a report on its progress shows. Sticking with the example of hunger, the UN’s target number 2 out of 17, the inception of the Sustainable Development Goals came at a time when progress on the topic was good and only... An end to world hunger might have seemed palatable at the time given these successes, but even when 2015 numbers were released the following year, world hunger had already risen due to conflicts intensifying... Undernourishment took another leap up in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic shook the world and has been slow to recover since as global crises and instability persist. Wars, political instability, climate change effects and economic woes have affected many of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in the past years and progress on them is poor overall. Out of 167 subtargets, only 25 were listed as on track to reach their 2030 aims (or having already done so).

These highlights include providing equal access to education for boys and girls, reducing death and illness due to pollution, supplying modern green energy tech to developing countries, giving people access to the internet, widespread... Overall, 15 percent of subtargets were expected to be reached, with some progress on around 40 percent and stagnation or backsliding for another 30 percent. The rest lacked data. Progress was most advanced for target 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, with 40%—or two out of five—subtargets on track. This was followed by Responsible Consumption and Production (target 12) at 36%, as many programs on research and development as well as sustainable production and procurement are being successfully implemented (four out of 10... Industry Innovation, Climate Action, protecting aquatic life, Sustainable Cities as well as Partnerships were on track to meet at least 20% of goals as of the latest report.

On the flipside, progress has been negative for many crucial targets aiming to save and improve the lives of people all over the world. The worst overall progress was attested to No Poverty, Clean Water and Sanitation as well as Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, with no subtargets on track. While data was sometimes missing, this included backsliding and stagnation on topics like discrimination and inclusivity, fair justice systems, increasing water treatment and government spending on essential services. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were put in place 10 years ago to guarantee peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. However, it’s looking less and less likely that they will be achieved by 2030 – and it’s all because of significant underinvestment for a decade and more recently, aid cuts by major donors such... In 2015, the United Nations put in place 17 goals to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, conflict and injustice.

The vision was to end obstacles like discrimination, exclusion and inequality that frequently leave the most vulnerable people behind. The SDGs replaced the 2000-2015 Millenium Development Goals which made some progress in areas such as poverty reduction, education and health. However, much of this progress was uneven with deepening inequality both between and within countries. At the moment, no – with five years left to achieve the SDGs, they are widely off track. Years of underinvestment by all states means that over 80 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ targets are off track. At the mid-way point of the SDGs, in July 2023, the UN reported that progress on more than half of the SDGs was “weak and insufficient”, while for another 30 per cent it had...

These include key targets on poverty, hunger and climate action. Existing inequalities between and within countries, which have widened due to a series of global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and economic downturns, could spiral further out of control. Time is ticking. We are just five years away from the 2030 deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ambitious global blueprint set by the United Nations in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet,... But where do we stand today? Are we making progress, or are we falling behind?

The latest Sustainable Development Report 2024 and the Europe Sustainable Development Report 2025 paint a mixed picture. While some countries have made impressive strides, others are struggling to meet even the most basic targets. Let’s dive into the current situation, highlight some success stories, and see what we can realistically achieve by 2030. The Global picture: stuck in the slow lane The data is clear: globally, only 16% of SDG targets are on track to be met by 2030. That means a staggering 84% of targets show slow progress or are even regressing​.

The COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and economic instability have set back efforts on multiple fronts, especially in areas like zero hunger (SDG 2), climate action (SDG 13), and strong institutions (SDG 16)​. Biggest setbacks: Hunger, biodiversity loss, and weakening democratic institutions.Where progress is happening: Infrastructure, digital connectivity, and access to basic services. Associate Professor in Sustainable Development Governance, Monash University Cameron Allen receives funding from the Australian Government. Shirin Malekpour receives funding from the Australian Government. Monash University provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

This week world leaders are gathering at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York to review progress against the Sustainable Development Goals. We’re halfway between when the goals were set in 2015 and when they need to be met in 2030.

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