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Context
India has achieved a significant milestone by entering the top 100 countries in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index for the first time. In the 2025 Sustainable Development Report (SDR) released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, India is ranked 99th out of 167 countries with a score of 67, marking steady progress from its 109th rank in 2024 and consistent improvement over recent years.
Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the SDG Index
- The SDGs are 17 interconnected global goals adopted by 193 UN member states in 2015 to tackle the world’s greatest challenges, including poverty, inequality, health, education, climate change, and sustainability, among others, by the year 2030. The SDGs Index is a composite metric that measures the extent to which countries are achieving these goals, using data on selected indicators, on a scale of 0 to 100, i.e., 100 means that they have achieved the respective goal.
- The Sustainable Development Report is an annual report on where the world is at with respect to progress being made towards the SDGs. It also assigns ranks to countries for their performance on the SDGs. The 2025 report maps out the countries which made the most progress and analyses trends for different regions and the drivers contributing to those improvements.
India’s Performance and Regional Comparisons
- India’s advancement to the 99th position with a score of 67 shows progress in several important indicators including poverty alleviation, health care, and access to clean energy. With the same scoring system, India has moved from 120th in 2021, 121st in 2022, 112th in 2023, and in 109th position in 2024.
- China comes next from India in South Asia from its neighbours, ranked 49th (74.4), Bhutan is 74th (70.5), Nepal 85th (68.6), then Bangladesh 114th (63.9) and Pakistan at 140th (57). Neighbouring maritime nations, Maldives are at 53rd and Sri Lanka at 93rd.
- Globally, Nordic European countries have ranked the highest (Finland first, Sweden second and Denmark third) however, despite their world-leading placing, these countries are also challenged by resilience to climate action policies and their biodiversity.
Key Drivers of India’s Progress
- The SDG Index for India has improved as a result of rapidly improving socioeconomic measures, resulting in health measures like under-5 and neonatal mortality (SDG 3), electricity access (SDG 7), as well as mobile broadband and internet access (SDG 9).
- The SDG India Index developed by NITI Aayog measures the progress at the national level and is used in a complementary way to the global index by reporting at the state-wise level and utilizing a total of 113 indicators across 16 goals. The national index reports India’s composite score has improved to 71 in 2023-24 (up from 57 in 2018), indicating progress is being made over time. States such as UttaraKhand and Kerala have shown the most achievement while U.P. has shown the most improvement, gaining 25 points.
- Government schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Ujjwala Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat have all helped accelerate progress through improved housing, sanitation, access to clean cooking fuel, and improved access to healthcare services.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
- Despite India’s improved ranking, the global SDG progress remains off-track. Only 17% of the SDG targets worldwide are projected to be achieved by 2030 due to obstacles such as conflicts, structural vulnerabilities, and limited fiscal space.
- India must continue to address disparities among states, with some like Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, and Nagaland lagging behind and requiring targeted interventions. Sustained policy focus, increased investments, and enhanced implementation of SDG-related programs are essential to maintain and accelerate progress.
Conclusion
India’s entry into the top 100 of the global SDG Index marks a significant achievement in its sustainable development journey. The improvement reflects concerted efforts across multiple sectors and states. However, with global and national challenges persisting, India’s continued commitment and strategic action will be crucial to fully realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Source: The Hindu
UPSC Mains Practice Question
Q. Critically analyze India’s performance in the SDG Index with reference to regional disparities and policy implications. Suggest measures to improve outcomes in lagging areas.
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