
Sustainable development report 2024
The Sustainable Development Report is a benchmark series that tracks global and national progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Produced annually by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and partners, it presents the SDG Index and Dashboards, offering comparable data, analysis, and trends for all UN member states.
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OVERVIEW
Overview
The Sustainable Development Report is a benchmark series first introduced in 2016 to assess the performance of all United Nations member states in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Produced annually by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and partner institutions, the series provides a comprehensive and comparable overview of global, regional, and national progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2025 edition marks both the tenth anniversary of the SDGs and the tenth edition of this report series.
Each year’s report centres on a specific sustainability theme and includes the SDG Index and Dashboards, which form the core analytical tools of the series. These benchmarks have become a global reference for measuring and comparing SDG performance, providing evidence-based insights into progress and gaps across all 17 goals.
Financing for development
The series highlights the interconnection between sustainable development and financial systems, illustrating how investment and fiscal policy can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. It analyses the relationship between international finance, governance structures, and sustainable outcomes. Through its focus on reforming global financial frameworks, the series supports efforts to align public and private capital with sustainable development priorities.
For finance professionals, this component of the benchmark series serves as a guide to understanding how macroeconomic, fiscal, and investment decisions affect sustainable growth. It helps identify where financing gaps exist and how financial institutions, markets, and policy interventions can contribute to long-term economic and environmental stability.
The SDG index and dashboards
At the heart of the series lies the SDG Index and Dashboards, which combine over one hundred global indicators to assess countries’ progress toward each of the 17 SDGs. The methodology is peer-reviewed, transparent, and statistically audited, ensuring comparability and reliability across nations and over time.
The dashboards use a traffic-light system to show whether a country is on track, making progress, or facing significant challenges in meeting each goal. The series also presents regional and income-group analyses, offering insights into disparities in development performance. The SDG Index and Dashboards data are updated annually and are freely accessible through the SDG Transformation Center website, supporting both public and private sector decision-making.
Finance professionals can utilise the SDG Index as a diagnostic and benchmarking tool to assess sustainability performance at the national level. It helps investors and analysts evaluate country-specific sustainability risks, identify opportunities for sustainable investment, and align financial portfolios with the SDGs.
Commitment to the SDGs and UN-based multilateralism
This section of the benchmark series examines the level of engagement of countries in supporting multilateral cooperation and the SDG agenda. It measures commitment through indicators such as treaty ratifications, participation in UN programmes, peacekeeping, and financial contributions to global institutions.
Understanding these indicators can assist finance professionals in evaluating the stability and governance context of markets. Countries demonstrating stronger commitments to multilateral frameworks often provide a more predictable policy environment for sustainable investment and responsible business operations.
Purpose and application
The Sustainable Development Report series aims to provide a data-driven foundation for policy, research, and investment decisions that advance sustainable development globally. Its transparent methodology and publicly available data make it an authoritative reference for comparing national performance and identifying areas for improvement.
For finance professionals, the series offers an evidence base to integrate sustainability considerations into risk assessment, strategic planning, and investment analysis. By mapping financial systems against development outcomes, it supports the transition towards inclusive, resilient, and sustainable economies worldwide.