Looking at the 2025 SDR data, the overall picture is pretty discouraging , not one of the 17 goals is currently on track to be achieved by 2030 globally, with only around 17% of individual targets progressing the way they should be. It's been roughly 10 years in, which makes you wonder if the 2030 deadline is realistic.
However, some areas have genuinely made some progress - access to electricity (SDG 7), internet use (SDG 9), and reduction in child mortality (SDG 3) are places where real change has happened. These tend to be goals where you can throw technology and investments at the problem and actually see results, which I think explains a lot.
In terms of which countries are doing well, European countries still top the rankings (Finland being #1 this year). However, East and South Asia has been the fastest improving region since 2015. Countries like Nepal and Peru are doing really well compared to similar nations, so progress is happening, just unevenly.
The goals that seem the hardest to achieve are the ones around climate (SDG 13) and biodiversity (SDG 13), even the top-ranked European countries struggle with these. I think that's because they require systemic, global cooperation rather than just national-level policy decisions. You can't fix climate change alone. Compared to something like reducing child mortality, where a government can directly invest in healthcare, the climate goals feel almost impossible to "own."
A big factor the report highlights is debt. Roughly half the world's population lives in countries that simply can not afford to invest in sustainable development right now. That feels like the elephant in the room that doesn't get talked about enough.