The Sustainable Development Goals, often called SDGs or Global Goals, are a set of 17 broad objectives agreed by all United Nations member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They form a shared plan to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet by tackling issues like poverty, inequality, and climate change in an integrated way.

At their core, the SDGs aim to end extreme poverty and hunger while ensuring that development is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable. This means that economic growth should improve people’s lives, reduce inequalities, and protect natural systems rather than damage them.

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals, each with a concise title such as No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Quality Education, Gender Equality, and Climate Action. Together they cover social issues, economic development, environmental protection, and the institutions and partnerships needed to support progress.

Each goal is supported by more detailed targets and indicators that make the agenda measurable and practical. In total there are 169 targets and many more indicators, which help countries track progress on specific issues like child mortality, access to clean water, or renewable energy use.

The SDGs build on an earlier framework called the Millennium Development Goals, which guided global development efforts from 2000 to 2015. While the MDGs focused mainly on poverty and basic human needs in developing countries, the SDGs are broader and apply to all countries, rich and poor.

An important idea behind the SDGs is that the challenges they address are interconnected and must be tackled together. For example, reducing poverty depends on good health, education, decent jobs, and a stable climate, while climate action in turn affects food security and life on land and below water.

The goals also reflect three key dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental. Economic goals focus on decent work and growth; social goals address things like health, education, and equality; and environmental goals address climate, oceans, and ecosystems.

Many of the goals highlight the need to “leave no one behind,” meaning that progress should reach the poorest and most vulnerable people first. This includes reducing inequalities within and between countries, promoting gender equality, and expanding access to basic services for all.

The SDGs are meant to guide action not only by governments but also by businesses, civil society, and local communities. They provide a common language and framework for designing policies, investments, and projects that contribute to a more just and sustainable world.

Ultimately, the Sustainable Development Goals represent a global commitment to transform how societies develop by 2030. They seek to ensure that today’s development meets human needs and aspirations without undermining the environment or the prospects of future generations.

As of early 2026, the world is not on track to fully achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, despite important gains in many areas. The most recent global stocktake shows that only a minority of SDG targets are on track, with many stagnating or going backwards, especially after the combined shocks of the pandemic, climate impacts, and conflicts.

A 2025 assessment of SDG indicators found that around 18% of assessed targets have been met or are on track, about 48% show only moderate or marginal progress, roughly 17% are stagnating, and about 18% are regressing. This means that, with just a few years left to 2030, most targets require a major acceleration if they are to be reached.

On the positive side, there have been notable improvements in areas such as access to education, maternal and child health, and the fight against infectious diseases like HIV and malaria. Digital connectivity has expanded, helping to bridge parts of the digital divide, and access to electricity has continued to grow worldwide.​

Progress on energy is one of the clearer success stories: renewable energy has become the fastest‑growing source of power globally, and 45 countries have already achieved universal access to electricity. These trends support SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and contribute to climate and development objectives at the same time.

However, food security and nutrition have suffered major setbacks, and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) is among the goals most off track. Conflicts, climate shocks, and economic disruptions have increased the number of people facing hunger or food insecurity in many regions.

Environmental and climate‑related goals such as SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land) also show serious gaps. Deforestation has slowed somewhat, but about 10 million hectares of forest were still lost each year between 2015 and 2020, implying it could take decades to halt forest loss at the current pace.

Social goals present a mixed picture: youth literacy and school participation have improved in regions like sub‑Saharan Africa and Central and South Asia, supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education). Gender representation in national parliaments has increased to just over a quarter of seats held by women, advancing SDG 5 (Gender Equality), but progress has been slowing.​

At the same time, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) faces headwinds from slow, unequal recovery and structural challenges in labor markets. Responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) remain problematic: global domestic material consumption rose by about 23% between 2015 and 2022, showing that economies are still heavily resource intensive.

Peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16) are under severe strain, with conflict‑related deaths remaining high and surging in some regions. In 2024, at least one person died every 12 minutes due to armed conflict, and the number of women and children killed in conflicts rose dramatically in 2023–24, driven largely by the war in Gaza.

Looking ahead from 2026, UN assessments emphasize that achieving the SDGs will require rapid action in a few priority areas: transforming food systems, expanding sustainable energy access, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening education, creating decent jobs and social protection, and protecting climate and biodiversity. They also stress the need for more financing, stronger international cooperation, and better policy coherence so that national plans and investments align with SDG targets in the final years to 2030.