20 Essential FAQs on the SDG Report 2024

FAQs on Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024

Q1: What is the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024?

A1: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 is a detailed update on the world's progress towards achieving the SDGs from 2015 to 2024, looking ahead to 2030. It was released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and highlights both successes and challenges in realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Q2: What is the overall status of SDG implementation according to the report?

A2: The report reveals that the world is severely off track to realize the 2030 Agenda. Based on 2015 baseline levels:

• Only 17% of indicators show progress sufficient for achievement by 2030
• 18% show moderate progress
• 30% show marginal progress
• 18% show stagnation
• 17% indicate regression

Q3: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected progress on SDG 1 (No Poverty)?

A3: The pandemic caused extreme poverty to rise in 2020 for the first time in decades, reversing global progress by three years. Extreme poverty rose from 8.9% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2020. If current trends persist, 590 million people may still live in extreme poverty by 2030.

Q4: What is the current status of global food security (SDG 2)?

A4: In 2022, 29.6% of the world's population (2.4 billion people) were moderately or severely food insecure. Record-high food prices in 2022 worsened purchasing power and access to food, negatively impacting food security and nutritional outcomes.

Q5: How has the pandemic affected global life expectancy (SDG 3)?

A5: COVID-19 reversed the positive trend in global life expectancy, which plummeted to 71.4 years by 2021 (from 73.1 years in 2019), returning to the level of 2012.

Q6: What progress has been made in education (SDG 4)?

A6: Globally, girls' completion rates exceed those of boys by 2 to 3 percentage points in both primary and secondary education. However, only 58% of students worldwide achieved minimum proficiency in reading by 2019, and there has been a significant decline in math and reading scores in many countries.

Q7: What are some key findings related to gender equality (SDG 5)?

A7: An estimated 640 million girls and women were married in childhood globally, with one-third in India alone. Over 230 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation. Women carry an unfair burden of unpaid domestic and care work, spending 2.5 times more hours a day on it than men.

Q8: What is the current status of access to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6)?

A8: Between 2015 and 2022, the proportion of the population using safely managed drinking water increased from 69% to 73%. However, in 2022, 2.2 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water, 3.5 billion went without safely managed sanitation, and 2 billion had inadequate basic hygiene services.

Q9: What progress has been made in access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7)?

A9: The number of people lacking access to electricity dropped from 958 million in 2015 to 685 million in 2022. The number without clean cooking fuels declined from 2.8 billion to 2.1 billion over the same period. However, it's estimated that 660 million people will still lack electricity access and around 1.8 billion will go without clean cooking fuels and technologies by 2030.

Q10: What is the status of global economic growth and decent work (SDG 8)?

A10: Global real GDP per capita grew at an average annual rate of 2.1% from 2010 to 2014, slowing to 1.6% from 2015 to 2022. Informal employment poses a significant global challenge, with over 2 billion workers in informal jobs lacking social protection in 2023.

Q11: How has the manufacturing sector performed (SDG 9)?

A11: Since 2015, the global manufacturing value added per capita has risen by 16%, from USD 1,653 to USD 1,922 in 2023. However, since 2022, manufacturing sector growth has plateaued at around 2.7% and is expected to persist into 2024 due to the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions.

Q12: What is the status of global inequality (SDG 10)?

A12: The global share of people living on less than half the median income has been declining due to social assistance programmes. However, workers' wages have not kept pace with productivity, and labor's share of GDP has resumed its long-term decline. The labor income share of GDP dropped from 54.1% in 2004 to 52.7% in 2021.

Q13: What are the key findings related to sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11)?

A13: In 2022, 24.8% of the urban population lived in slums or informal settlements. Each year, an estimated 4.2 million people die due to ambient air pollution. Globally, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) dropped by 9%.

Q14: What is the status of responsible consumption and production (SDG 12)?

A14: In 2022, global food waste reached 1.05 billion metric tons. The rapid growth of global e-waste remains largely unaddressed, with only 22% collected and managed sustainably.

Q15: What is the current status of climate action (SDG 13)?

A15: Current national policies set the world on track for warming of 3°C, while Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) lower this to 2.5°C. There is currently only a 14% chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C. In 2022, global greenhouse gas emissions reached a new record of 57.4 gigatons of CO2 equivalent.

Q16: What is the state of life below water (SDG 14)?

A16: The sustainability of global fishery resources declined from 90% in 1974 to 62.3% in 2021, due to overfishing, pollution, poor management, and other factors. The Southeast Pacific had the highest percentage of overfished stocks at 66.7%, followed by the Mediterranean and Black Sea at 62.5%.

Q17: What is the status of life on land (SDG 15)?

A17: Between 2000 and 2020, the proportion of forest cover decreased from 31.9% to 31.2% of total land area, resulting in net forest area losses of nearly 100 million hectares. Agricultural expansion drove almost 90% of global deforestation.

Q18: What are the key findings related to peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16)?

A18: Rising conflicts and violent organized crime persist around the world. The number of forcibly displaced people reached an unprecedented 120 million in May 2024. Civilian casualties in armed conflicts surged by 72% in 2023. About 19% of people reported being asked to pay or having paid a bribe to a public official in the last 12 months.

Q19: What is the status of partnerships for the goals (SDG 17)?

A19: In 2023, the annual SDG investment gap in developing countries was estimated at about USD 4 trillion. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2023 amounted to USD 1.33 trillion, a decrease of 2% from 2022. About 60% of low-income countries are at high risk of debt distress or already experiencing it.

Q20: What are the key recommendations from the report?

A20: The report recommends that the global community must unite to end conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy. It calls for reforming the outdated and unfair international financial system to increase investment in the SDGs. Significant investments and effective partnerships are needed to drive key transitions in food, energy, and digital connectivity, advancing all the Goals.