UAE ranked top global performer in SDG progress speed among high-income countries
29 June 2025 23:46
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)The UAE has been named the fastest mover among high-income countries and the MENA region in advancing towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the latest Sustainable Development Report.According to the report, the UAE achieved a 9.9 percentage point increase on the SDG Index between 2015 and 2024 - nearly triple the average progress recorded by its high-income peers (+3.5) and more than double the average growth rate seen in the MENA region (+4). This places the country ahead of all its Gulf peers and makes it one of the fastest-progressing nations globally.The Sustainable Development Report 2025, produced by the UN-affiliated Sustainable Development Solutions Network, assesses the performance of all 193 UN member states across 17 goals adopted by all member states in 2015. This year's report assigned SDG Index scores and rankings to 167 countries, excluding those with substantial data gaps.The SDG Index score, rated on a scale from 0 to 100, reflects a nation's proximity to meeting the 2030 targets in areas such as poverty, health, education, and environmental sustainability.In the overall rankings, the UAE secured the 80th position out of 167 countries with a score of 69.8, outperforming all its Gulf neighbours. It also scored above both the MENA average of 65.6 and the global average of 68.6.The UAE also leads the MENA region in the number of SDG targets already achieved, with top scores in No Poverty, Quality Education, and Reduced Inequalities categories.The country has maintained strong performance in Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and is showing moderate improvement in areas such as Good Health and Wellbeing, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, and Sustainable Cities and Communities.The report defines moderate improvement as a rate of score increase that exceeds 50% of what is required to meet the goal by 2030. Maintaining an SDG achievement, meanwhile, indicates that the target has either already been surpassed or is progressing at the required pace."Compared with their regional peers, Benin, Nepal, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan have shown the fastest progression," the report said, placing the UAE in an elite group of nations accelerating towards the SDGs at the highest rate.Despite these gains, the report warns that progress remains uneven globally."On average globally, the SDGs are far off-track. At the global level, none of the 17 goals are currently on course to be achieved by 2030", the report stated. Just 17% of global targets are on track, with many countries constrained by conflict, fiscal limitations, or structural challenges.However, "most UN member states have made strong progress" on key access-related targets, such as under-five mortality, internet access, and electricity coverage.
This year's edition, themed "Financing the SDGs by 2030 and Mid-Century", marks the 10th anniversary of the goals' adoption and comes ahead of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which will be held from June 30 to July 3 in Seville, Spain.
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