Guwahati: India has entered the top 100 countries in the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, ranking 99th out of 193 countries, according to the 2025 Sustainable Development Report released on June 24 by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
China is ranked 49th with a score of 74.4, and the United States is 44th with 75.2 points. Among India’s neighbors, Bhutan ranks highest at 74th, followed by Nepal (85th), Bangladesh (114th), and Pakistan (140th). The Maldives and Sri Lanka are at 53rd and 93rd, respectively.
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The report, led by economist Jeffrey Sachs, says global progress on the 17 SDGs for 2030 has slowed. Only 17 percent of the targets are on track, due to conflicts, financial problems, and other challenges.
European countries lead the rankings, with Finland, Sweden, and Denmark in the top three. However, these countries still face problems with climate change and biodiversity goals because of high consumption.
East and South Asian countries have made the fastest progress since 2015. Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have shown steady economic and social improvements.
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The report also notes better access to electricity, internet, and child health worldwide. But it points out problems with rising obesity, less press freedom, poor nitrogen management, loss of biodiversity, and corruption.
Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago are the most committed to UN cooperation. Brazil ranks highest among G20 countries at 25th, and Chile is seventh among OECD nations. The United States is last, ranked 193rd again, mainly because it withdrew from key global agreements.
The report was published before the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, from June 30 to July 3. It calls for changes in the global financial system to better support developing countries.