New Delhi: India has entered the top 100 in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings for the first time, securing the 99th position in the 2025 SDG Index with a score of 67. This was revealed in the 10th edition of the Sustainable Development Report (SDR), published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
India has shown consistent improvement in its SDG performance over recent years. From being ranked 116th in 2017, the country moved to 109th in 2024 before reaching the 99th spot this year.
The report stated that while European countries continue to lead the SDG Index, East and South Asian nations have demonstrated stronger progress compared to other regions in 2025. Countries such as Nepal, Cambodia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Mongolia were identified as the fastest movers since 2015 in terms of point increase.
China also entered the top 50 performers in this year’s index, underlining the region’s broader upward trend in SDG progress.
“Amid rising geopolitical tensions, widening global inequalities, and the escalating climate crisis, this year’s SDR underscores that the world overwhelmingly recognises the Sustainable Development Goals as the vital pathway to peace, equity, and well-being,” said Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the SDSN and lead author of the report.
“Many countries are making significant progress, but much more can be accomplished through stepped-up investments in education, green technologies, and digital solutions. Above all, we need peace and global cooperation to achieve the SDGs,” Sachs added.
Despite the regional and national improvements, the report noted that overall global progress toward the SDGs has stalled. It found that none of the 17 global goals are currently on track to be fully achieved by 2030.
“Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space continue to hinder progress, especially in emerging and developing economies,” the report said. It further highlighted that only 17 per cent of SDG targets are likely to be achieved by the end of the decade.
The SDGs were adopted in 2015 by UN member states with the aim of creating a more sustainable and equitable world by 2030, ensuring that no one is left behind in the development process.
