UN Sustainable Development Goals Index 2025: Top 10 Best and Worst Performing Countries

These study notes cover the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2025, released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

1. Top 10 Best Performing Countries

European nations, particularly Nordic countries, continue to lead the world in SDG progress.

RankCountryScore
1Finland87.02
2Sweden85.74
3Denmark85.26
4Germany83.67
5France83.14
6Austria83.01
7Norway82.72
8Croatia82.39
9Poland82.08
10Czechia81.94

2. Top 10 Worst-Performing Countries

The lowest-ranking countries are primarily those affected by conflict, political instability, and extreme fiscal constraints.

RankCountryScore
167South Sudan41.55
166Central African Republic45.21
165Chad46.04
164Somalia46.08
163Yemen47.74
162DR Congo48.24
161Sudan49.06
160Afghanistan49.10
159Niger50.33
158Madagascar51.05

3. Key Global Highlights

  • Stalled Progress: Globally, none of the 17 SDGs are on track to be met by 2030. Only 17% of targets are showing satisfactory progress.
  • India’s Milestone: For the first time, India has entered the top 100, ranking 99th with a score of 66.95.
  • Regional Leaders: * G20: Brazil (25th)
    • OECD: Chile (7th)
    • Fastest Progress: East and South Asia are the fastest-improving regions since 2015.
  • Multilateralism Index (UN-Mi): Barbados ranks 1st in commitment to UN-based multilateralism, while the United States ranks last (193rd) due to recent withdrawals from global agreements.
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