The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024

Contents

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 includes:

• Foreword

• Introduction

• Unlocking the Power of Data for Sustainable Development

• Goals 1-17

• SDG Progress by Target

• Note to the Reader

Foreword

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 indicates that only 17% of SDG targets are on track, nearly half show minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third have stalled or regressed. The COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and climate change are negatively impacting SDG progress. Systemic deficiencies and inequities in the global economic and financial system hinder developing countries. Inequalities are growing, the climate crisis is escalating, biodiversity loss is accelerating, and gender equality progress is disappointing. Conflicts have displaced 120 million people worldwide.

Developing countries face the worst medium-term economic outlook in a generation. The SDG Summit in September 2023 demonstrated a commitment to rescue the SDGs and deliver an SDG Stimulus. Progress is being made in some areas, such as reductions in child mortality and HIV infections and improvements in access to water, sanitation, energy, and mobile broadband.

Bolder actions are required:

1. Peace: Resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.

2. Solidarity: Provide developing countries with more financial resources and reform the international financial architecture.

3. Implementation: Increase investment and partnerships in food, energy, and digital connectivity.

4. Gender Equality: Dismantle gender barriers and empower women and girls.

Stronger international cooperation is needed. The Summit of the Future and the Financing for Development conference in 2025 offer opportunities for breakthroughs. With six years left, the promise to end poverty, protect the planet, and leave no one behind must be fulfilled.

Introduction

At the SDG Summit in September, Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the SDGs by 2030, recognizing that progress is in peril. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 indicates that progress has halted or been reversed across multiple fronts. The COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, climate shocks, and economic turmoil have worsened inequalities.

In 2022, an additional 23 million people were pushed into extreme poverty, and over 100 million more suffered from hunger compared to 2019. Health progress has slowed since 2015, with the COVID-19 pandemic undoing nearly 10 years of progress on life expectancy. Education is threatened by declines in student math and reading skills.

Wars are upending millions of lives, with a record 37.4 million refugees and nearly 120 million forcibly displaced people. Civilian casualties in armed conflicts rose by 72% between 2022 and 2023. In 2023, wars claimed the lives of 4 in 10 civilian women and 3 in 10 civilian children.

Environmental crises are threatening ecosystems. 2023 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures dangerously close to the 1.5°C limit of the Paris Agreement. Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations reached new records in 2022.

Developing and vulnerable countries face vast development challenges. Per capita growth in GDP in half the world’s most vulnerable countries is slower than in advanced economies. The SDG investment gap in developing countries is now at 4 trillion per year. These issues are exacerbated by inadequate representation in global economic decision-making.

Despite these challenges, advancements have been made. Increased access to treatment has averted 20.8 million AIDS-related deaths. In most regions, girls have achieved parity in schooling. 5.4 billion people (two-thirds of the world’s population) now have access to the Internet. The world must confront the crises threatening sustainable development by ending conflicts, increasing financing for vulnerable countries, and ensuring developing countries have a more equitable role in global economic governance. A just climate transition is crucial, along with renewed commitments to gender equality and increased investments in health, education, and social protection. The political declaration of the SDG Summit must be translated into actions.

Unlocking the Power of Data for Sustainable Development

Accurate, timely, and disaggregated data are essential for measuring progress towards the 17 SDGs and 169 targets. Data helps identify challenges, formulate solutions, monitor implementation, and make course corrections. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 uses the latest available data to highlight successes and challenges.

The 2024 progress assessment reveals that the world is severely off track to realize the 2030 Agenda. Of the 169 targets, 135 can be assessed, but only 17% display progress sufficient for achievement by 2030. 48% exhibit moderate to severe deviations, while 18% indicate stagnation and another 17% show regression below 2015 baseline levels.

Challenges remain in data availability and timeliness. In 2016, only one-third of indicators had good data coverage. Today, 68% of indicators have good data coverage, and since 2020, all 231 indicators have well-established methodologies. Good trend data are available for 51% of indicators in more than half of all countries.

Major data shortfalls exist in priority areas like gender equality, climate action, and peace, justice, and strong institutions. Approximately one-third of indicators lack data for the past three years.

A strong statistical foundation relies on traditional sources like censuses, surveys, and administrative data. In 2022, overall performance on these sources averaged around 0.6 (out of 1). High-income countries achieved nearly a full score for birth and death registration, while low- and lower-middle-income countries scored only 0.2. Integration of different data sources is spurred by data demand for SDG monitoring. For example, Azerbaijan uses remote sensing to monitor mountain biodiversity, and Bangladesh has employed geospatial and survey data to generate local poverty estimates.

Countries are investing in national statistical systems, requiring financial resources, capacity building, infrastructure modernization, and adoption of international statistical standards.

The principle of the 2030 Agenda is to leave no one behind. A review by the Gender Data Compass revealed gaps in disaggregated data, with availability scores for sex-disaggregated data ranging from 23 to 83 out of 100. Subnational data availability was notably low. High-income countries generally exhibited lower disaggregated data availability compared to low- and middle-income countries. Involving citizens in data production promotes transparency, participation, and shared responsibility. The newly proposed Copenhagen Framework on Citizen Data supports such engagement.

Data openness has increased, with the average score rising from 44 in 2017 to 55 in 2022. However, data openness does not always translate into effective use and impact. More efforts are needed to strengthen data use and impact.

Successful SDG monitoring requires NSOs to play a strong stewardship role. A 2023 survey indicated that NSOs prioritize data sharing and reuse, but only 30% consider data privacy and security important in their data stewardship role. Data governance systems are needed that go beyond the current scope of NSO activities.

Building partnerships with diverse stakeholders makes SDG monitoring more inclusive. According to a 2022 survey, 81% of NSOs had institutional arrangements with the public sector, 66% with international organizations, 56% with academia, and 45% with the private sector; partnerships with civil society organizations stood at 37%. The High Impact Initiative on the Power of Data was launched at the SDG Summit in September 2023 to mobilize support and investments in national data systems. Partnering with local governments enables NSOs to gather more accurate, comprehensive, and context-specific data.

In 2023, only 65% of countries had fully funded and implemented national statistical plans, with funding gaps more pronounced in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Mechanisms such as the Statistical Training Needs Assessment Tool can aid in systematically assessing national statistical capacities to guide funding allocations.

Goal 1: No Poverty

The COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022 hampered efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. The global extreme poverty rate increased in 2020 for the first time in decades, setting back progress by three years. By 2030, 590 million people may still live in extreme poverty if current trends persist. Significant coverage gaps in social protection programmes left 1.4 billion children uncovered in 2023. Climate change is hindering poverty reduction.

Ending poverty requires a wide-ranging approach that combines comprehensive social protection systems, inclusive economic policies, investments in human capital, measures to address inequality and climate resilience, and international cooperation and partnership.

The share of the world’s population living in extreme poverty rose from 8.9% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2020, driven by increases in low- and lower-middle-income countries. By 2022, extreme poverty had returned to pre-pandemic levels in most countries, except low-income ones. Projections suggest that by 2030, 590 million people, or 6.9% of the global population, may remain in extreme poverty if current trends persist. In the 75 most vulnerable countries, one in four people live on less than $2.15 a day – more than eight times the extreme poverty rate in the rest of the world.

The global working poverty rate slightly increased to 7.7% in 2020 before declining to 6.9% in 2023. Despite progress, nearly 241 million workers globally still lived in extreme poverty in 2023. More than half of workers living in extreme poverty were in sub-Saharan Africa (145 million). Globally, youth are twice as likely as adults to be in working poverty. Women typically experience higher working poverty rates than men, with the most pronounced gender gap observed in the least developed countries (LDCs).

In 2023, only 28.2% of children aged 0 to 15 globally received child cash benefits, up from 22.1% in 2015. This left 1.4 billion children without social protection coverage. Achieving universal coverage will require closing a major financing gap. Upper- and lower-middle-income countries would need to invest an additional 98.1 billion and 88.8 billion, respectively. Low-income countries would require an additional 59.6 billion.

From 2015 to 2022, average annual direct economic losses exceeded 115 billion worldwide, an amount equivalent to 0.3% of the GDP of reporting countries. Disaster-related economic losses in LDCs are over six times the global average. Government spending on essential services averages around 50% of total government expenditure. Among advanced economies, this figure rises to 60%, while in emerging market and developing economies, it stands at 40%.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

After rising sharply in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, global hunger and food insecurity remained persistently high and almost unchanged for three years. In 2023, about 733 million people faced hunger, and 2.33 billion people experienced moderate to severe food insecurity. Despite progress, 148 million children under age 5 suffered from stunting in 2022. If current trends persist, one in five children under age 5 will be affected by stunting in 2030. In 2022, almost 60% of countries worldwide faced moderately to abnormally high food prices.

Achieving zero hunger requires intensified efforts to transform food systems so they are sustainable, resilient, and equitable. Moreover, accelerating improvements in diets, nutrition, health, and hygiene is crucial to meeting the target of halving the number of children suffering from chronic undernutrition.

Global hunger persisted at nearly the same level for three years, affecting 9.1% of the population in 2023 compared with 7.5% in 2019. An estimated 28.9% of the world’s population, or 2.33 billion people, were moderately or severely food insecure in 2023. Globally in 2022, an estimated 22.3% of children under age 5, or 148 million, were affected by stunting, down from 24.6% in 2015. Some 37 million children (5.6%) were overweight, while 45 million (6.8%) experienced wasting, above the global target of 3% by 2030.

To achieve Goal 2, significant efforts are needed to mitigate the impacts of climate change, conflict, and economic crisis. Record-high food prices in 2022 worsened purchasing power and access to food. Increased global public expenditure on agriculture was one positive trend.

The Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators adopted a new set of seven subindicators to assess global progress in sustainable agriculture. Data from 2021 suggested that the world was at a moderate distance from achieving productive and sustainable agriculture (with a score of 3.4 out of 5).

Small-scale food producers play essential roles in agricultural and food production systems. In 95% of countries with available data, the average annual income of small-scale producers is less than half that of larger-scale producers. Small-scale food producers headed by men typically generate higher incomes than those headed by women.

Globally, the proportion of countries facing moderately to abnormally high food prices rose sharply in 2022, reaching a new record high of 58.1%. Major disruptions to logistics and food supply chains after war broke out in Ukraine resulted in higher food and energy prices. The war also exerted strong upward pressure on fertilizer prices.

Between 2015 and 2022, global government spending on agriculture increased steadily, reaching a record high of 749 billion in 2022. The agriculture orientation index declined from 0.5 in 2015 to 0.43 in 2021 before rebounding to 0.48 in 2022. From 2015 to 2022, the volume of aid for agriculture provided to developing countries increased by 47.2%, from 12.3 billion to 18.1 billion (in constant 2022 prices).

Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being

The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged global health, undoing nearly 10 years of progress in life expectancy. While most health-related indicators are moving in the right direction globally, current trends are insufficient to meet targets set for 2030. The maternal mortality ratio is largely stuck at a level more than three times the 2030 target. Under-5 deaths reached an historic low in 2022, but progress has slowed. Without accelerated declines, 35 million children will not live to see their fifth birthday by 2030. The global response to infectious diseases has saved millions of lives. Inequalities and emerging threats jeopardize these accomplishments, however, underscoring the need for sustained efforts and innovative strategies. More than half the world’s population is not covered by essential health services, while an ageing health workforce must now meet growing demands from an ageing population. Ensuring universal health coverage without financial hardship is crucial to healthy lives and well-being for all. The world is not on track to achieve Goal 3. Changing course requires prioritizing the achievement of universal health coverage, strengthening health systems, investing in disease prevention and treatment, and addressing disparities in access to care and services, especially for vulnerable populations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected global health, reversing steady progress in life expectancy over the past two decades. Prior to the pandemic, global life expectancy rose consistently, from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.1 years in 2019. COVID-19 swiftly reversed this positive trend, with global life expectancy plummeting to 71.4 years by 2021, back to the level of 2012.

Essential health service coverage is measured using an index, reported on a score of 0 to 100, based on 14 indicators across four domains: reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health; infectious diseases; non-communicable diseases; and service capacity and access. The global score on the index increased remarkably from 45 in 2000 to 65 in 2015. Progress slowed thereafter, however, reaching a score of only 68 in 2021. Minimal progress left about 4.5 billion people without coverage in 2021. Financial hardship due to out-of-pocket health spending has worsened since 2015, affecting 2 billion people in 2019.

Data from 2015 to 2022 reveal stark disparities, with low-income countries experiencing the lowest health worker density and distribution. Health systems are experiencing increased strains in catering to the mounting health needs of an ageing global population. An estimated 1.8 million additional health workers are needed in 54 countries, primarily high-income ones, to replace retiring health professionals.

Between 2015 and 2020, the global maternal mortality ratio declined only marginally from 227 to 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, over three times higher than the 2030 target of 70. Skilled birth attendance has improved globally, rising from 80 per cent of births in 2015 to 86 per cent in 2023. The adolescent birth rate for women aged 15–19 years declined to 41.3 births per 1,000 women in 2023. The proportion of women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods has climbed from 76.5 per cent in 2015 to 77.6 per cent in 2024. Global under-5 deaths reached a historic low of 4.9 million in 2022. If current trends continue, an estimated 35 million children will die before reaching their fifth birthday by 2030.

In 2022, an estimated 1.3 million new HIV infections represented a 27 per cent decrease since 2015. The reported number of people newly diagnosed with tuberculosis reached 7.5 million in 2022. An estimated 249 million malaria cases occurred globally in 2022. In 2022, 1.6 billion people required treatment and care for neglected tropical diseases.

In 2022, 20.5 million children missed at least one routine vaccine and 14.3 million received no vaccines at all. Globally, only about 1 in 11 individuals with drug use disorders received related treatment in 2022. Particulate air pollution caused approximately 104 deaths per 100,000 people annually by 2019. Total net official development assistance (ODA) for medical research and basic health sectors has significantly increased in recent years.

Goal 4: Quality Education

Progress towards Goal 4 has been slow since 2015, with only 58 per cent of students worldwide achieving a minimum proficiency in reading by 2019. Recent assessments reveal a significant decline in math and reading scores in many countries, highlighting a set of factors beyond the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on global education. Many countries face challenges such as inadequate education infrastructure, teacher shortages, and insufficient teacher training. While technology has expanded educational opportunities, it has also widened inequalities, leaving millions of people, especially in marginalized and low-income communities, without access to education.

To meet national 2030 education targets, countries must annually enrol 1.4 million children in early childhood education, admit a new child to school every two seconds until 2030, and triple annual progress in primary completion rates. Accelerating progress could have a catalytic impact on achieving the overall 2030 Agenda. Prioritizing increased education funding, teacher training, and inclusive and accessible schools are essential steps, along with leveraging technology and bridging the digital divide to achieve equitable access to quality education.

Between 2015 and 2023, the primary school completion rate increased from 85 to 88 per cent, the lower secondary completion rate from 74 to 78 per cent, and the upper secondary completion rate from 53 to 59 per cent. Progress in upper secondary completion slowed from 1.3 percentage points annually (2010-2015) to 0.9 percentage points annually (2015–2023). Globally, girls’ completion rates exceed those of boys by 2 to 3 percentage points in both primary and secondary education. Based on the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment test, from 2018 to 2022, mean performance in mathematics plummeted by a record 15 points. Reading scores declined by 10 points, twice the previous record. Although 90 per cent of countries report that they mainstream sustainable development and global citizenship subjects in national education systems, a 2023 study found that 69 per cent did not mention climate change and 66 per cent omitted sustainability. Seven out of 10 children globally attended organized learning one year before the official primary entry age in 2022, a rate unchanged since 2015.

Globally, only half of primary schools and just 62 per cent of secondary schools have basic infrastructure for students with disabilities. A significant teacher qualification gap persists globally. On average, 15 per cent of teachers lack minimum qualifications.

Goal 5: Gender Equality

The world continues to lag in its pursuit of gender equality by 2030. Harmful practices are decreasing but not at a rate keeping up with population growth. One in five girls still marry before age 18. A staggering 230 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation. Far too many women still cannot realize the right to decide on their sexual and reproductive health. Violence against women persists, disproportionately affecting those with disabilities. Parity in women’s participation in public life remains elusive, and in management positions, at current rates, parity will require another 176 years. Women carry an unfair burden of unpaid domestic and care work, spending 2.5 times more hours a day on it than men.

Strong and sustained commitments to changing biased social norms, eliminating harmful practices, and abolishing discriminatory laws are urgently needed. Enhancing women’s roles in leadership and decision-making and adequately scaling up investments in gender equality on national, regional, and global scales are top priorities.

Data from 120 countries show that from 2019 to 2023, 56 positive legal reforms focused on removing discriminatory laws and establishing legal frameworks to advance gender equality. Limited data mask far greater risks of intimate partner violence among women with disabilities. In Mongolia, 41 per cent of women with disabilities has experienced physical violence by a partner compared to 28 per cent of women without disabilities. Differences in the prevalence of physical and/or sexual violence range from 6 to 16 percentage points in the four countries. An estimated 640 million girls and women were married in childhood globally, with one third in India alone. Some countries have made strides towards ending female genital mutilation, but new estimates show an increase of 30 million cases compared to eight years ago. In Africa, over 144 million girls and women have undergone the practice; Asia and the Middle East are home to significant numbers affected by female genital mutilation as well, at over 80 million and over 6 million, respectively.