The ambition of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, is to provide responses to the main global challenges by 2030: poverty, inequality, climate, biodiversity, water, energy, peace, education, and more. Ten years after their launch, what progress has been made – and what obstacles remain?

Acknowledging that through solidarity and investment, the SDGs were able to improve millions of lives, the report reveals that only 35% of SDG targets with data are on track or show moderate progress. Almost half are not moving fast enough or making limited progress, and 18% have regressed. The report emphasizes the need for immediate, bold, and coordinated action in the light of “a global development emergency.”

Among major achievements, the report highlights:

• Over 100 million children and youth gaining access to education since 2015;
• Improvements in maternal and child mortality;
• A nearly 40% drop in HIV infections since 2010;
• Electricity access reaching 92% of the global population;
• Hundreds of millions of people gaining access to safe drinking water; and
• A 70% increase in internet use since 2015.

At the same time, the report shows that: over 800 million people still live in extreme poverty; one in 11 globally experience hunger; more than a billion people worldwide live in slums or informal settlements; and the number of forcibly displaced people has more than doubled since 2015. After five years of growth, official development assistance (ODA) dropped 7.1% in 2024, with further cuts expected in 2025. In addition, systemic disadvantages continue to affect women, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities.

According to the report, further progress towards the Goals is hindered by conflicts, climate change, rising inequality, and inadequate financing. Debt servicing costs for low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs) reached a record USD 1.4 trillion in 2023, while the SDG financing gap in developing countries is estimated at USD 4 trillion per year. National statistical systems also remain chronically underfunded, despite the importance of timely and disaggregated data for monitoring progress, targeting interventions, and ensuring accountability.

Meanwhile, the report underscores that global averages conceal meaningful advances in many countries, which serve as proof that sound policies, strong institutions, and inclusive partnerships can enable significant progress. Among examples, it notes that in the past decade, 45 countries have achieved universal electricity access, and 54 countries had eradicated at least one neglected tropical disease by the end of 2024.

The report identifies six transformations that can “unlock cascading benefits” across the SDGs: food systems; energy access and sustainability; digital connectivity; education reform; jobs and social protection; and climate and biodiversity action. It calls for coordinated policies, sufficient financing, and inclusive implementation, as well as international cooperation and genuine solidarity.

The report highlights the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), the 2025 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), and the Second World Summit for Social Development as “vital opportunities to galvanize political will and secure necessary financing.”

The report was released on the opening day of HLPF 2025, on 14 July. It is one of several SDG assessments released each year in the lead-up to the HLPF. The UN Secretary-General’s SDG progress report and the Sustainable Development Report by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) also feed into HLPF deliberations. 

HLPF 2025 takes place on the theme, ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind.’ Five Goals are undergoing in-depth reviews this year – SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). [Publication: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025] [Key Messages] [Key Findings] [Fact Sheets on Goals Under Review in 2025] [Extended Report] [Publication Landing Page]

Progress amid adversity 
Despite cascading global challenges, the report documents notable global achievements:

• New HIV infections have declined by nearly 40 per cent since 2010.
• Malaria prevention has averted 2.2 billion cases and saved 12.7 million lives since 2000.
• Social protection now reaches over half the world’s population, up significantly from a decade ago.   
• Since 2015, 110 million more children and youth have entered school.
• Child marriage is in decline, with more girls staying in school and women gaining ground in parliaments around the world.
• In 2023, 92 per cent of the world’s population had access to electricity.
• Internet use has surged from 40 per cent in 2015 to 68 per cent in 2024, unlocking access to education, jobs, and civic participation.
• Conservation efforts have doubled protection of key ecosystems, contributing to global biodiversity resilience. 

Hard truths and systemic risks 
At the same time, the report calls attention to challenges that continue to hold back sustainable development progress:

• More than 800 million people still live in extreme poverty.
• Billions still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
• Climate change pushed 2024 to be the hottest year on record, with temperatures 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Conflicts caused nearly 50,000 deaths in 2024. By the end of that year, over 120 million peoplewere forcibly displaced.
• Low- and middle-income countries faced record-high debt servicing costs of $1.4 trillion in 2023.  

A roadmap for acceleration 
The report calls for action across six priority areas where intensified effort can generate transformative impact: food systems, energy access, digital transformation, education, jobs and social protection, and climate and biodiversity action. 

It also urges governments and partners to implement the Medellín Framework for Action, a roadmap adopted at the 2024 UN World Data Forum, to strengthen data systems essential for responsive policymaking. 

Success stories show that the Goals are achievable 
Global averages may mask meaningful advances in many countries that have made substantial progress across different Goals. For example, 45 countries have achieved universal electricity access in the past decade and 54 countries had eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease by the end of 2024. These national and local successes, driven by sound policies, strong institutions, and inclusive partnerships, prove that accelerated progress is not only possible, but already happening.  

The final five years to 2030 present an opportunity to deliver on the promises of the SDGs. The 2030 Agenda is not aspirational; it is non-negotiable. 

“This is not a moment for despair, but for determined action,” said Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “We have the knowledge, tools, and partnerships to drive transformation. What we need now is urgent multilateralism—a recommitment to shared responsibility and sustained investment.” 

Additional key facts and figures:

Progress

• Between 2012 and 2024, the prevalence of stunting among children under age 5 decreased from 26.4 per cent to 23.2 per cent.
• Healthy life expectancy increased by over five years between 2000 and 2019. However, COVID-19 reversed some of these gains, cutting life expectancy by 1.8 years.
• Global maternal mortality ratio dropped from 228 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015 to 197 in 2023. Under-5 mortality fell to 37 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, a 16 per cent reduction from 44 in 2015.
• By the end of 2024, 54 countries had eliminated at least one neglected tropical disease.
• Between 2019 and 2024, 99 positive legal reforms were implemented to remove discriminatory laws and establish gender equality frameworks.
• As of 1 January 2025, women held 27.2 per cent of the seats in national parliaments, up 4.9 percentage points from 2015.
• Renewable energy is the fastest-growing energy source today and is projected to surpass coal as the primary electricity source in 2025.
• 5G mobile broadband now covers 51 per cent of the global population.

Setbacks

• Without a significant acceleration in efforts, 8.9 per cent of the global population will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030 under the revised international poverty line.
• Nearly 1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023.  
• In 2023, 272 million children and youth remained out of school.  
• Women perform 2.5 times as many unpaid domestic and care work as men.
• In 2024, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.4 billion went without safely managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion lacked basic hygiene services at home.
• The global refugee population has surged to 37.8 million by mid-2024.
• Worldwide, 1.12 billion people live in slums or informal settlements without basic services.
• Official development assistance declined 7.1 per cent in 2024 after five years of growth, with further cuts expected through 2025. 

For more information, please visit: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2025 

Developed by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and supported by the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia, the report brings together the expertise of more than 40 institutions and international organizations across 21 countries. By integrating satellite observations, ground sensor networks, and social and statistical data, it pioneers a Big Earth Data–driven framework for global SDG monitoring.

Findings reveal uneven progress over the past decade: among 18 monitored SDG indicators, only wetland conservation (SDG 6.6.1) has maintained a global “no net loss” status, while 8 show significant regression, particularly those related to food security, biodiversity, and climate stability. The report underscores the growing urgency of coordinated global actions to address these interconnected challenges.

Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia commended the report as a valuable scientific contribution to evidence-based policymaking. “This work demonstrates how digital technologies and open data can enhance global SDG monitoring and strengthen international cooperation”

Professor GUO Huadong, Director General of CBAS, emphasized that with less than five years remaining to achieve the SDGs, scientific collaboration and data sharing are key to driving progress. As the latest achievement of the International Science Programme on Digital Sustainable Development (DSP) under the UNESCO International Decade of Science for Sustainable Development (IDSSD), The report’s open-access data products and methodology aim to support researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders worldwide.

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

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.

Will the SDGs be achieved by 2030?

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 “stalled or gone into reverse”. These include key targets on poverty, hunger and climate action.

What does that mean for our world?

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.

The climate crisis together with weaknesses in the current financial system are sending lower- and middle-income countries further into debt. This is because often, their only option to cover the loss and damage caused by climate change is to seek additional loans. Countries in or at risk of spiralling debt spend more on debt repayments than on public services that are essential to people’s rights such as to health and education – fuelling the cycle of vulnerability.

How are human rights being impacted?

In the absence of real progress on the SDGs, the outlook for human rights is worrying.

The UN estimates that by 2030, 585 million people will be chronically undernourished, 1.66 billion people will still be living in extreme poverty, 84 million children will be out of school, 300 million attending school will leave unable to read and write and 660 million people will remain without electricity.

What’s finance got to do with fulfilling these goals?

Everything!

The global financial architecture is rooted in historical inequalities and the continuing legacy of colonialism, which leaves many low-income countries with unsustainable debt, depriving them of the resources they need to finance the SDGs. Tax evasion and avoidance by multinational companies and wealthy individuals cost countries an estimated US$492 billion annually. This is lost revenue, which could be spent on improving everyone’s access to economic, social and cultural rights.

How have the cuts to international aid affected the SDGs?

Food rations have been cut in refugee camps. HIV/AIDS clinics have closed overnight, people are not receiving antiretroviral treatments. Almost half of women-led and women’s organizations surveyed by UN Women expect to shut down within six months if current funding levels persist – with gender-based violence initiatives most at risk. The list goes on.

There’s been a lot of talk about tariffs in the USA. What are they and how are they affecting human rights?

Tariffs are taxes imposed by governments for imported services and goods. 

Tariffs are both an instrument in international trade policy and an industrial policy, where they can be employed to protect domestic industries. The Trump administration has imposed broad and arbitrary tariffs as a political tool to pressure dozens of countries, including Canada, China and Mexico but also many smaller economies, into a range of concessions. The policy, which does not take into account the impact on people’s rights, is hitting some of the poorest and already most vulnerable countries.

Tariffs can have a cascading effect on living conditions, employment, access to essential goods, and economic sovereignty, all of which can undermine human rights. Tariffs on essential imports like medicine, food, or fuel can make these and other basic necessities unaffordable in smaller or lower-income countries.

What are high-income states doing to ensure these goals are achieved?

Not enough.In fact, rather than increasing their funding to support the SDGs, many major Western donors have slashed international assistance, creating a huge crisis.

Nevertheless, there are other ways high-income countries can help. They should commit to structural reforms that could provide sustainable sources of financing for the longer term – from advancing international tax cooperation and addressing the debt crisis, to reforming international financial institutions and promoting more inclusive systems of financing and development.

So, what can be done to achieve these goals?

A series of robust measures must be put in place if we are to rescue the SDGs.

The US and other governments must reverse cuts to aid budgets. States must provide debt relief for countries in or at risk of debt distress. Fossil fuels subsidies must be redirected towards investment in clean energy and leaders must commit to a full, fast, fair, and funded fossil fuel phase out across all sectors and invest adequately in a just and equitable transition.

Adopting these measures will go a long way to rescuing the SDGs and ensure social, economic and climate justice for millions across the world. 

What is Amnesty’s take on financing for development?

Amnesty International is calling for broad transformation of development finance, taxation, debt, and public and private investment to ensure the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved. This will ensure finance is more available and affordable for low-income countries to achieve their human rights obligations.

These changes must take place quickly to meet states’ international obligations to provide international cooperation and assistance to ensure human rights through the progressive realization of economic, social and cultural rights.

The report describes the expansion of globalization over time, driven by advances in technology and policy choices. Noting that many developing countries have reaped great benefits from economic integration over the past three decades, it recognizes that economic integration “has outpaced efforts to cushion its negative effects,” such as “the distributional and environmental impacts of unregulated economic globalization both within and between countries.”

Consequently, “the strong political commitment of governments to trade liberalization, particularly since the 1990s, has given way to a more cautious outlook, influenced by rising geopolitical tensions,” including the introduction of tariffs and retaliatory measures by major actors, according to the report.

The report warns that unless “the prevailing geopolitical fissures in the global trading system” are addressed, waning support of states for multilateral cooperation and institutions could affect the implementation of global frameworks, “created to mitigate the economic, social and environmental costs of globalization.” These frameworks, whose overarching objective is to help ensure globalization delivers for everyone, include the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and the Global Digital Compact.

Dated May 2025, the report (E/2025/68) is titled, ‘Long-term impacts of current trends on the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.’ It will inform the deliberations during the 2025 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. HLPF 2025 will carry out in-depth reviews of SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) – the only Goal to undergo review annually. [Publication: Long-term Impacts of Current Trends on the Realization of the Sustainable Development Goals]

The 4th International Conference for Financing for Development will take place from 30 June to 3 July in Seville, Spain. It provides a unique opportunity to reform development financing at all levels and address financing challenges preventing the urgently needed investment push to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The SDGs were put in place 10 years ago to guarantee peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future.

“Years of underinvestment by all states mean the majority of the Sustainable Development Goals are way off track from their 2030 target. This conference must confront the immediate crisis linked to the cutting of international assistance by major donors whilst committing to structural reforms that could provide sustainable sources of financing for the longer term – from advancing international tax cooperation and addressing the debt crisis, to reforming international financial institutions and promoting more inclusive systems of financing and development,” said Riva Jalipa, Amnesty International’s Financing for Rights Lead Adviser.

A series of robust measures must be put in place if the Sustainable Development Goals are to become a reality.

Riva Jalipa, Amnesty International’s Financing for Rights Lead Adviser

“A series of robust measures must be put in place if the SDGs are to become a reality. The US and other governments must reverse cuts to aid budgets. Wealthy states must support the UN tax treaty process whilst providing debt relief for countries in or at risk of debt distress including cancellation where appropriate. Fossil fuels subsidies must be redirected towards investment in clean energy and leaders must commit to a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out across all sectors and invest adequately in a just and equitable transition. Adopting these measures will go a long way to rescuing the SDGs and ensure social, economic and climate justice for millions across the world.”

Amnesty International will also be co-hosting a Virtual Side Event at the Financing for Development Conference, Seville: Reparative Justice in Financing for Development. The session will focus on development financing and reparative justice as a means through which a human rights-based economy which redresses both existing and historical injustices can not only be conceptualized but also practically actioned. Register to attend via Zoom. 

Background

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. The 17 goals aimed to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice – to ensure no one was left behind. However,years of underinvestment by all states mean over 80% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ targets are off track due to underinvestment by all states.

Held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Forum’s 2025 session will be the first after the 2024 Summit of the Future (SoF). HLPF 2025 will support the implementation of the Pact for the Future and the Political Declaration adopted at the SDG Summit in 2023, among other outcomes, with a view to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs in the five years that remain until the 2030 deadline.

The UN Secretariat’s concept note for the July session is available in PDF format. The provisional agenda (E/HLPF/2025/1) is here. An annotated programme of work for the session, dated 7 July, provides information on daily events and includes guiding questions for the thematic sessions. Background notes for the thematic sessions are here.

In addition to the official programme, the HLPF Secretariat has released the details on 12 special events taking place during the Forum:

• SDGs in Practice, from 14-23 July;
• Science Day, on 15 July;
• Local and Regional Government Forum (LRGF), on 16 July;
• Loacal2030 Coalition Special Event, on 16 July;
• HESI Global Forum, on 21 July;
• Accelerating Social Progress to Boost SDG Implementation, on 21 July;
• PGA’s Interactive Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on New Partnership on Africa’s Development, on 21 July;
• 2025 SDG Global Business Forum, on 22 July;
• Special Event on Addressing High Food Price Inflation for Food Security and Nutrition, on 22 July;
• Strengthening Climate and SDG Synergies for Accelerated Momentum Towards 2030, on 22 July;
• SDG 6 Water Action Agenda Special Event, on 22 July; and
• IPU Parliamentary Forum at the HLPF, on 22 July.

The HLPF Secretariat has also published a tentative programme of side events taking place in the margins of HLPF 2025, including off-site and virtual side events. The lists are continuously updated.

The programme for the 2025 VNR Labs is available here. VNR Labs convene on the sidelines of the HLPF to provide “an informal platform for experience sharing and reflection” on the voluntary national review (VNR) findings. They take place under Chatham House rules.

The latest Information Note on the arrangements for HLPF 2025 and the ECOSOC High-level Segment provides details on the format, venue, participation, and logistics.

The governments that will present VNRs of SDG implementation during HLPF 2025 have released the main messages of their reports. Angola, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, the Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Philippines, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, South Africa, the Sudan, Suriname, and Thailand – a total of 37 countries – will present their VNRs at HLPF 2025.

The co-facilitators for the negotiations on the HLPF Ministerial Declaration – the Czech Republic and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – circulated a “zero draft” of the outcome document on 14 April. Member States exchanged initial views on the zero draft during an informal consultation on 5 May. Informal consultations continue.

The Major Groups have submitted position papers on the theme of HLPF 2025. Their executive summaries are compiled in a preparatory document. The contributors are “major groups and other relevant stakeholders that have autonomously established and maintained effective coordination mechanisms for participation” in the HLPF. They include: Women; Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs); Local Authorities; Workers and Trade Unions; Business and Industry; Volunteer Groups; Scientific and Technological Community; Ageing; Education and Academia; Asia-Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism; Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders; Economic Commission for Europe Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism; Communities that Experience Discrimination Based on Work and Descent; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) People; and Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Mechanism.

The functional commissions of ECOSOC have also submitted input on the theme of the session, discussing their contributions to implementing the 2030 Agenda. Another input to the HLPF is a compilation of reports from the UN’s regional commissions (E/HLPF/2025/3). The submissions present summaries of the 2025 regional forums on sustainable development (RFSDs) that took place in Africa, the Arab Region, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Other official inputs include: the UN Secretary-General’s SDG Progress Report assessing progress made since 2015 against the global SDG indicator framework; the Secretary-General’s report outlining long-term impacts of current trends on the realization of the SDGs; and a report on the 2025 annual theme of ECOSOC and the HLPF.

Reports from other intergovernmental processes that will inform the discussions include: a progress report on the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP) (E/2025/64); a report of the ECOSOC forum on financing for development follow-up (FfD Forum) (E/FFDF/2025/2); a summary of the 2025 Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) (E/HLPF/2025/6); and a report of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) (E/2025/33).

HLPF 2025 will also draw from the outcomes of several major summits, including the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). Its outcomes will, in turn, contribute to the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4), the Second World Summit for Social Development, and the UN Climate Change Conference, among other processes. [SDG Knowledge Hub Coverage of HLPF 2025][ECOSOC newsletter announcing the HLPF | subscribe to the ECOSOC newsletter]