India Breaks Into Top 100 Of Sustainable Development Goals For First Time, 19 European Countries In Top 20

India has achieved a significant milestone, entering the top 100 in the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) rankings for the first time, reported The New Indian Express.

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th Sustainable Development Report (SDR) announced this on Tuesday (24 June).

India now ranks 99th among 167 countries on the 2025 SDG Index, scoring 67 out of 100. This marks a notable improvement from its 109th rank in 2024. For comparison, China holds the 49th position with 74.4 points, and the US is 44th with 75.2 points.

Nordic nations continue to lead the index, with Finland (1st), Sweden (2nd), and Denmark (3rd) topping the list. 19 of the top 20 countries are in Europe. However, even these leading countries face challenges in achieving climate and biodiversity goals due to unsustainable consumption patterns.

The report, with world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs as its lead author, highlights a global slowdown in SDG progress, projecting that only 17 per cent of the 17 targets will be achieved by 2030. Sachs stated, "Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities and limited fiscal space impede SDG progress in many parts of the world."

Globally, countries have made strong progress in basic services like access to electricity and internet use. However, targets related to the obesity rate, press freedom, and the Corruption Perceptions Index show significant reversals since 2015.

The report also criticises the global financial architecture, stating, "Money flows readily to rich countries and not to the emerging and developing economies (EMDEs) that offer higher growth potential and rates of return."