Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 : UN Statistics

 

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Summary
The 2025 Sustainable Development Goals Report offers a comprehensive assessment of global progress at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda. 

While some encouraging gains are noted—such as reductions in child mortality, the eradication of neglected tropical diseases in over 50 countries, and growing access to electricity and internet—the report warns that the overall pace of change is too slow.

 Of 137 measurable targets, only 35% are on track or already achieved, 47% are making insufficient progress, and 18% have regressed below 2015 levels. The report highlights that extreme poverty has decreased slightly but remains above pre-pandemic levels. 

Conflicts, climate shocks, and economic instability are compounding vulnerabilities, especially in the poorest and most fragile states. Gender inequality persists across all dimensions, and nearly 2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water. 

Hunger is rising again, and the number of people affected by disasters has more than doubled in the last decade. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb, and biodiversity loss remains severe. To accelerate progress, the UN proposes six priority areas for urgent, integrated action: food systems transformation, universal access to energy, digital connectivity, education for all, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity protection. 

The report calls for massive scaling-up of long-term investments in sustainable development, reform of international financial systems, stronger multilateralism, and urgent debt relief for struggling economies. It also underscores the need for better, disaggregated data to identify those being left behind and to guide targeted action. The report stresses that the next five years are critical: without a course correction now, many SDG targets will be missed, with lasting consequences for people and planet.

 

Quotes
“Since 2015, the world has made notable strides in expanding access to education, improving maternal and child health, and bridging the digital divide.”
“Globally, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.”
“The current rate of progress is insufficient—47 per cent of targets are showing only fair progress and 18 per cent are backsliding.”
“We must move from incremental to transformational change, from words to action, and from commitments to results.”
“With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.”

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