New Delhi: In a historic milestone, India has secured a place among the top 100 countries in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2025, ranking 99th out of 193 nations with a score of 67.0, according to the 10th Edition of the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) on June 24, 2025. This achievement marks a significant leap from its 109th rank in 2024, reflecting India’s steady progress toward achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by United Nations member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDR, themed ‘Financing Sustainable Development to 2030 and Mid-Century’, tracks global progress toward these goals and highlights critical challenges impeding their realization.
What Are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015 to address pressing global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice. Building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which focused on reducing extreme poverty from 2000 to 2015, the SDGs provide a comprehensive framework for sustainable development by 2030. The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), launched in 2012, plays a pivotal role in mobilizing scientific and technological expertise to support the implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement.
Key Findings of the 2025 Sustainable Development Report
The 2025 SDR paints a sobering picture of global progress toward the SDGs. Despite a strong global commitment, with 190 out of 193 countries presenting national action plans for advancing sustainable development, none of the 17 SDGs are on track to be fully achieved by 2030. Only 17% of the SDG targets are progressing as planned, with significant setbacks in areas such as obesity rates (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), biodiversity loss (Red List Index, SDG 15), and corruption perception (SDG 16). The report, authored by world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, highlights that global progress is hindered by conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space, particularly in developing nations.
High-income countries have exacerbated these challenges by delaying capital support to multilateral development banks, resulting in a shortfall in funding for SDG initiatives. The report also underscores the broken state of the global financial architecture (GFA), noting that capital flows disproportionately to rich countries rather than emerging and developing economies (EMDEs), which offer higher growth potential. This issue will be a key focus at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Seville, Spain.
Global Commitment to UN Multilateralism
The 2025 SDR also evaluates countries’ commitment to UN multilateralism, with Barbados ranking highest, followed by Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Among G20 nations, Brazil leads at 25th, while Chile ranks 7th among OECD countries. In stark contrast, the United States, which recently withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization (WHO) and declared opposition to the SDGs, ranks last (193rd) for the second consecutive year.
India’s Remarkable Progress in the SDG Index
India’s entry into the top 100 of the SDG Index 2025 is a testament to its consistent efforts over the past few years. The country has shown a steady upward trend, improving from 120th in 2021, 121st in 2022, 112th in 2023, and 109th in 2024 to its current 99th position with a score of 67.0. This milestone reflects India’s advancements in socioeconomic development, infrastructure, and access to basic services, aligning with global SDG targets.
Regional Comparison: India and Its Neighbors
In a regional context, India’s performance is notable but lags behind some neighbors. Bhutan ranks 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), and the Maldives 53rd. Sri Lanka stands at 93rd, while Bangladesh and Pakistan rank lower at 114th (63.9) and 140th (57.0), respectively. Globally, China ranks 49th (74.4), and the United States is at 44th (75.2).
India’s Progress Since 2015
Since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, India has made significant strides in key areas, including mobile broadband access (SDG 9), access to electricity (SDG 7), internet usage (SDG 9), under-five mortality (SDG 3), and neonatal mortality (SDG 3). These improvements reflect India’s focus on enhancing infrastructure and healthcare, contributing to its improved SDG Index ranking.
Global Leaders and Laggards in the SDG Index 2025
Top 10 Performing Countries
The SDG Index 2025 is dominated by European countries, particularly the Nordic nations. The top 10 countries are:
- Finland – 87.0
- Sweden – 85.7
- Denmark – 85.3
- Germany – 83.7
- France – 83.1
- Austria – 83.0
- Norway – 82.7
- Croatia – 82.4
- Poland – 82.1
- Czechia – 81.9
Nineteen of the top 20 countries are in Europe, underscoring the region’s leadership in sustainable development. However, even these nations face challenges in achieving goals related to climate change and biodiversity due to unsustainable consumption patterns.
Bottom 10 Performing Countries
Countries plagued by conflict, insecurity, and socioeconomic instability occupy the bottom ranks of the SDG Index:
- South Sudan – 41.6 (167th)
- Central African Republic – 45.2 (166th)
- Chad – 46.0 (165th)
- Somalia – 46.1 (164th)
- Yemen – 47.7 (163rd)
- Democratic Republic of Congo – 48.2 (162nd)
- Sudan – 49.1 (161st)
- Afghanistan – 49.1 (160th)
- Niger – 50.3 (159th)
- Madagascar – 51.0 (158th)
These nations face significant barriers to SDG progress, including ongoing conflicts, political instability, and limited fiscal resources.
East and South Asia: A Region of Rapid Progress
East and South Asia have outperformed other regions since 2015, driven by rapid socioeconomic development. The countries showing the most significant progress include:
- Nepal: +11.1 points
- Cambodia: +10.0 points
- Philippines: +8.6 points
- Bangladesh: +8.3 points
- Mongolia: +7.7 points
Other countries demonstrating notable improvements include Benin (+14.5), Uzbekistan (+12.1), United Arab Emirates (+9.9), Peru (+8.7), Saudi Arabia (+8.1), and Costa Rica (+7.0).
Challenges to Global SDG Progress
Despite global commitment to the SDGs, progress remains uneven. The 2025 SDR identifies several areas of regression since 2015:
- Obesity rates (SDG 2): Rising globally, posing challenges to health and nutrition goals.
- Press freedom (SDG 16): Declining in many regions, undermining transparency and governance.
- Sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2): Worsening due to unsustainable agricultural practices.
- Red List Index (SDG 15): Indicating increased biodiversity loss.
- Corruption Perceptions Index (SDG 16): Reflecting deteriorating governance in some areas.
These setbacks highlight the need for urgent action to address systemic challenges, including conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and insufficient financing for development.
India’s Prime Minister Visits Cyprus: A Broader Context
In a related development, the Prime Minister of India visited Cyprus in 2025, marking the first such visit in 23 years. While not directly tied to the SDG Index, this diplomatic engagement underscores India’s growing role on the global stage, aligning with its efforts to strengthen multilateral cooperation and support for sustainable development initiatives.
The Path Forward: Financing Sustainable Development
The 2025 SDR emphasizes the need for reform in the global financial architecture to ensure that capital flows to emerging and developing economies (EMDEs). The upcoming FfD4 conference in Seville will prioritize this agenda, aiming to address the funding shortfall for SDG initiatives. The report calls for increased support from high-income countries to multilateral development banks and greater investment in EMDEs to unlock their growth potential.
Conclusion
India’s entry into the top 100 of the UN SDG Index 2025 is a significant achievement, reflecting its progress in socioeconomic development, infrastructure, and healthcare. However, the global outlook remains challenging, with only 17% of SDG targets on track for 2030. As the world prepares for the FfD4 conference, urgent reforms are needed to address financing gaps, conflicts, and structural vulnerabilities. India’s steady rise in the SDG Index positions it as a key player in the global push for sustainable development, but continued efforts are essential to meet the 2030 goals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.What is India’s ranking in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index 2025, and how does it compare to previous years?
India ranks 99th out of 193 countries in the UN SDG Index 2025, with a score of 67.0, marking its first entry into the top 100. This is a significant improvement from 109th in 2024, 112th in 2023, 121st in 2022, and 120th in 2021, reflecting a steady upward trend in India’s sustainable development efforts.
2.What are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and who monitors their progress?
The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, addressing issues like poverty, inequality, climate change, and governance. The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), launched in 2012, monitors global progress through the annual Sustainable Development Report (SDR), with the 2025 edition themed ‘Financing Sustainable Development to 2030 and Mid-Century’.
3.Which countries lead and lag in the SDG Index 2025?
Finland leads the SDG Index 2025 with a score of 87.0, followed by Sweden (85.7) and Denmark (85.3). European countries dominate the top 10, with 19 of the top 20 from Europe. The bottom-ranked countries include South Sudan (41.6), Central African Republic (45.2), and Chad (46.0), largely due to conflicts and socioeconomic challenges.
4.What are the key challenges to global SDG progress according to the 2025 SDR?
The 2025 SDR highlights that none of the 17 SDGs are on track for full achievement by 2030, with only 17% of targets progressing as planned. Key challenges include conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, limited fiscal space, and insufficient funding from high-income countries to multilateral development banks. Specific areas of regression include obesity rates, press freedom, sustainable nitrogen management, biodiversity loss, and corruption perception.
5.How does India’s SDG performance compare to its regional neighbors?
India’s 99th rank (score: 67.0) places it behind neighbors like Bhutan (74th, 70.5), Nepal (85th, 68.6), and Maldives (53rd), but ahead of Sri Lanka (93rd), Bangladesh (114th, 63.9), and Pakistan (140th, 57.0). India’s progress in areas like mobile broadband, electricity access, and child mortality has driven its improved ranking, though challenges remain compared to regional leaders.
