The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025, published by the United Nations, assesses global progress ten years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. With five years remaining until the 2030 deadline, the report finds that progress remains insufficient across most of the targets. While important gains have been made in access to essential services, education, electricity, connectivity and social protection, conflicts, climate change, economic instability and persistent inequalities continue to obstruct progress.
Key Findings of the 2025 SDG Report
The report assessed progress against 139 of the 169 SDG targets using global trend data and custodian-agency analysis.
| Progress Status | Percentage of Targets | Summary |
|---|---|---|
On track or target met | 18% | Targets that have achieved the goal or are progressing at a pace consistent with the 2030 agenda. |
Moderate progress | 17% | Targets showing meaningful progress, but continued acceleration is needed. |
Marginal progress | 31% | Targets are advancing, but gains remain too limited to meet the 2030 commitments. |
Stagnation | 17% | Targets show no progress from the 2015 baseline. |
| Regression | 18% | Targets have fallen below their 2015 baseline levels. |
| Overall assessment: Only 35% of assessed targets are on track or making moderate progress. A further 48% show insufficient progress (marginal progress or stagnation), while 18% have regressed. Percentages may not total exactly 100% due to rounding. | ||
Areas with Significant Setbacks or Slow Progress
- Poverty and social protection (SDG 1): An estimated 808 million people were living in extreme poverty in 2025 under the revised international poverty line. Although 52.4% of the global population had at least one social protection benefit in 2023, 3.8 billion people remained uncovered.
- Food security and nutrition (SDG 2): In 2024, 8.2% of the global population faced hunger and about 2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. Child and maternal malnutrition and inadequate dietary diversity remain major concerns.
- Gender equality (SDG 5): Discriminatory laws and gender norms, unequal unpaid care responsibilities, underrepresentation in leadership and persistent harmful practices continue to limit progress.
- Water and sanitation (SDG 6): In 2024, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home.
- Climate and biodiversity (SDGs 13–15): Record temperatures and greenhouse-gas emissions, ocean warming and acidification, deforestation and accelerating species extinction threaten ecosystems and livelihoods.
- Peace and institutions (SDG 16): Conflict-related deaths and forced displacement rose sharply in 2024. Access to justice, civic space, safety of journalists and trust in institutions remain serious concerns.
Areas with Notable Progress:
- Health (SDG 3): AIDS-related deaths have halved since 2010, and 54 countries have eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease. Maternal and child mortality have declined over the longer term, although progress has slowed and inequalities persist.
- Education (SDG 4): Since 2015, 109 million more children and youth have entered school. Completion rates have increased at all levels, and girls now exceed boys by 2–3 percentage points at each level. However, 272 million children and youth remained out of school in 2023.
- Clean energy (SDG 7): Global electricity access reached 92% in 2023, up from 84% in 2010. Access to clean cooking also increased, reaching 74% in 2023.
- Decent work (SDG 8): Global unemployment reached a historic low of 5.0% in 2024, although youth unemployment, informal work and regional inequalities remain challenges.
- Industry and infrastructure (SDG 9): Internet use reached 68% of the global population in 2024, up from 40% in 2015. Infrastructure access and mobile connectivity have expanded, but gaps remain.
- Data and partnerships (SDG 17): Statistical capacity and SDG data availability have improved. Almost 70% of SDG indicators now have good data coverage, and all 234 indicators have well-established methodologies.
The Call to Action
The 2025 report calls for urgent, coordinated action and renewed multilateral cooperation. It identifies six critical transitions where focused investment and policy action can accelerate progress:
- Food systems – strengthen sustainable food systems, improve nutrition and support small-scale producers.
- Energy – expand affordable, reliable and clean energy access while accelerating the transition to renewable energy.
- Digital connectivity – close the digital divide and ensure inclusive access to digital infrastructure and technology.
- Education – improve access, learning outcomes, equity and lifelong learning opportunities.
- Jobs and social protection – expand decent work, inclusive economic opportunities and social protection coverage.
- Climate and biodiversity action – accelerate emissions reductions, adaptation, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity protection
The report also emphasizes adequate financing, stronger institutions, reliable and disaggregated data, and partnerships among governments, universities, civil society, the private sector and international organizations.
SDG Progress Summary: Key Findings from the 2025 Report
| SDG | Goal Name | Status & Key Findings (2025) |
|---|---|---|
SDG 1 | No Poverty | Extreme poverty remains widespread: an estimated 808 million people, or 9.9% of the global population, were living in extreme poverty in 2025 under the revised $3.00-per-day international poverty line. Social protection coverage reached 52.4% in 2023, but 3.8 billion people remained uncovered. |
SDG 2 | Zero Hunger | Hunger and food insecurity remain above pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, 8.2% of people faced hunger and about 2.3 billion experienced moderate or severe food insecurity. Malnutrition and inadequate dietary diversity persist, despite rising public agricultural investment.. |
SDG 3 | Good Health | Health gains have slowed. Maternal and child mortality have declined over the longer term and AIDS-related deaths have halved since 2010, but COVID-19 reversed some gains. Malaria, tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases remain major threats, while access to quality care is unequal. |
SDG 4 | Quality Education | School enrolment and completion have improved since 2015, with 109 million additional children and youth entering school. Nevertheless, 272 million remained out of school in 2023, learning outcomes are weak or declining in many countries, and inequalities persist. |
SDG 5 | Gender Equality | Gender equality remains elusive. Women are underrepresented in leadership and decision-making, carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work and continue to face discriminatory laws, gender-based violence and harmful practices. Only 26% of 121 countries and areas had comprehensive systems to track gender-equality resource allocations. |
SDG 6 | Clean Water & Sanitation | Access has improved, but billions remain underserved. In 2024, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home. Pollution, water stress and weak governance further threaten water security. |
SDG 7 | Affordable & Clean Energy | Electricity access reached 92% globally in 2023, up from 84% in 2010, and clean-cooking access reached 74%. However, 666.4 million people still lacked electricity in 2023 and around 2.1 billion lacked clean cooking, making accelerated investment essential. |
SDG 8 | Decent Work & Growth | Global unemployment reached a historic low of 5.0% in 2024, but decent work remains unevenly distributed. Informal employment, working poverty, youth unemployment and unequal access to safe and productive work continue to affect vulnerable groups. |
SDG 9 | Industry & Innovation | Infrastructure and connectivity have expanded, including growth in mobile broadband and Internet access. Internet use reached 68% of the global population in 2024, compared with 40% in 2015. Industrial development and innovation remain uneven across countries and regions. |
SDG 10 | Reduced Inequalities | Inequality within and among countries remains a major barrier to sustainable development. Income disparities, unequal opportunities, discrimination and the unequal impacts of economic shocks and migration continue to leave vulnerable populations behind. |
SDG 11 | Sustainable Cities | Urban sustainability challenges remain substantial, including housing and basic-service gaps, air pollution, disaster risk and pressure on urban infrastructure. More coordinated planning, resilient public services and investment in sustainable transport and housing are needed. |
SDG 12 | Responsible Consumption | Unsustainable patterns of resource use and production continue to place pressure on the environment. Progress in sustainable consumption, waste management and reducing material footprints remains insufficient, requiring stronger policies and more responsible business and consumer practices. |
SDG 13 | Climate Action | Climate action is increasingly urgent as greenhouse-gas emissions and global temperatures reach record levels. The report highlights the need for faster emissions cuts, stronger adaptation and resilience, climate finance and more ambitious national climate plans. |
SDG 14 | Life Below Water | Marine ecosystems face mounting pressure from overfishing, pollution, biodiversity loss, warming and acidification. Only 8.4% of the ocean was classified as marine protected areas, far below the 30% target for 2030; stronger conservation and international cooperation are required. |
SDG 15 | Life on Land | Biodiversity loss and species extinction continue to accelerate, while global forest cover is shrinking and protection of key biodiversity areas has recently stalled. Signs of progress include slowing forest loss, restoration commitments and increased conservation efforts. |
SDG 16 | Peace, Justice & Institutions | Conflict, violence and displacement intensified in 2024, with nearly 50,000 conflict-related deaths and 123.2 million forcibly displaced people by year-end. Access to justice and safety for journalists and human-rights defenders remain serious concerns, although some institutional improvements are reported. |
SDG 17 | Partnerships for the Goals | Partnerships and financing are essential to deliver the SDGs. The report notes improvements in data availability and statistical capacity, but significant financing gaps, debt pressures and dependence on unstable external funding threaten progress. Stronger international cooperation and sustainable investment are needed. |
References:
United Nations. (2025). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025.
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025/
Primary source PDF supplied for this report: The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2025.pdf. Goal-specific page references are indicated in the summary table.