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India ranks 99th in the 2025 Sustainable Development Report (SDR) Index, a first-time entry into the top 100.  

About Sustainable Development Report 2025

The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) is an annual assessment of the progress of UN member states toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the report provides a global ranking and score for each country.

India's Milestone

For the first time, India has secured a position in the top 100 countries in the SDG Index.

India stands at 99th place out of 167 countries with an overall score of 67 out of 100. A score of 100 would mean all 17 goals have been fully achieved.

Global and Regional Performance

European countries, especially the Nordic nations, continue to dominate the top of the index. Finland ranks first, followed by Sweden and Denmark.

Nineteen of the top 20 countries are European. Even these high-ranking nations face challenges, particularly in areas of unsustainable consumption, which affect climate and biodiversity goals.

East and South Asia has emerged as the region with the most significant SDG progress since 2015, largely driven by rapid socioeconomic development.

India and its Neighbours:

• China: 49th
• Bhutan: 74th
• Nepal: 85th
• Sri Lanka: 93rd
• Bangladesh: 114th
• Pakistan: 140th

Challenges

Stagnation at the Global Level => The report warns that, globally, progress on the SDGs has stalled. At the current pace, only 17% of the SDG targets are projected to be met by the 2030 deadline.

Major Impediments => Key factors hindering progress worldwide include:

• Conflicts and instability.
• Structural vulnerabilities in the global economy.
• Limited financial resources (fiscal space), especially in developing nations.

Areas of Reversal => The world has moved backward on five key targets since 2015:

• Obesity Rate (SDG 2)
• Press Freedom (SDG 16)
• Sustainable Nitrogen Management (SDG 2)
• Red List Index (which measures biodiversity loss, SDG 15)
• Corruption Perceptions (SDG 16)

A Broken Financial System => The SDR 2025 emphasizes that the current international financial architecture is failing to support the SDGs, with high-income countries not meeting their commitments to channel capital to developing nations.

Way Forward

A score of 67/100 clearly indicates that there is still a long way to go. India must focus on areas where progress is slow, including those identified as global challenges like biodiversity and sustainable consumption.

The key to accelerating progress lies in the effective localization of the SDGs—empowering local governments and using granular data to push change at the ground.

India can play an important role in advocating for a more just and equitable international financial system that can unlock the resources needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda.  

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Source: 

TIMESOFINDIA