India is demonstrating notable progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all" by 2030. Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the SDGs address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation.
India's improved SDG ranking India has entered the top 100 in the UN's global SDG rankings for the first time, securing 99th position out of 167 countries in the 2025 Sustainable Development Report (SDR). This is a marked improvement from 109th in 2024, 112th in 2023, and 121st in 2022. India's score on the SDG Index is 67, reflecting progress towards achieving the 17 goals. The SDG Index measures progress on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 indicates complete achievement of all SDGs.
Progress across various SDG goals India has shown significant improvement in several key SDGs. These include: * SDG 1 (No Poverty): There has been a substantial reduction in multidimensional poverty, decreasing from 24.8% in 2015-16 to an estimated 11.28% in 2022-23. The proportion of people living in poverty declined to 14.96% in 2019-21 from 24.85% in 2015-16. * SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): India has made considerable strides in healthcare, with the maternal mortality ratio declining to 93 per lakh live births in 2019-21 from 130 in 2014-16. * SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): Sanitation goals have witnessed strong growth, with 100% of districts now declared open defecation free (ODF), and increased access to toilet facilities across rural and urban areas. * SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): There is now universal access to electricity and significant coverage of clean cooking fuels, covering 96% of households. * SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): India has made significant progress in promoting decent work and economic growth. * SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure): Most countries have made strong progress on targets related to access to basic services and infrastructure, including mobile broadband use and internet use. * SDG 13 (Climate Action): Climate Action has recorded the highest increase in score. * SDG 15 (Life on Land): India has made significant progress in protecting and restoring life on land.
Challenges and areas of concern
Despite the progress, the 2025 SDR cautions that global progress on the SDGs is stagnating, with only 17% of the targets on track to be achieved by 2030. Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and fiscal limitations are major impediments, especially in low-income and fragile states.
Specifically, within India, there are challenges in: * SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Gender equality received the lowest score among all goals, with only a slight improvement from the previous year. * SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): This goal saw a decline in points, highlighting ongoing wealth disparities and suggesting that inequality remains a significant issue, particularly in employment opportunities for lower socioeconomic groups and gender inequality in workforce participation. * Reversals in certain targets: Five targets have seen significant reversals since 2015: obesity rate (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), the Red List Index (SDG 15), and the Corruption Perceptions Index (SDG 16).
The path forward
To achieve the 2030 Agenda, the UN report emphasizes the need for urgent multilateral cooperation, financing reforms, local engagement, and focused implementation strategies. It is essential to address structural vulnerabilities and ensure that no one is left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development. By continuing to prioritize and invest in these critical areas, India can further accelerate its progress towards achieving the SDGs and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
