Sustainable Development Report 2026

Since 2016, the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) has provided the most up-to-date assessment of prog- ress towards the SDGs. This year’s SDR emphasizes five key messages to support SDG implementation and global cooperation for sustainable development within the UN framework. These messages are especially important as the SDGs enter the homestretch and UN member states consider the sustainable development agenda beyond 2030 to mid-century, including at the SDG Summit in September 2027.

1. Commitment to the SDGs remains strong globally, with a large majority of countries continuing to vote in favor of UNGA resolutions that refer to the sustainable development paradigm. In total, 190 countries have taken part in the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process, and a growing number of regional and local authorities take part in Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) to present their action plans and progress on sustainable development. In 2025, a strong majority of countries voted in favor of every UN General Assembly resolution referencing the SDGs, with the support often exceeding 170 of the 193 UN member states. Argentina and the United States are the only two countries that systematically opposed resolutions that refer to the sustainable development paradigm.

2. East and South Asia have outperformed all other regions on SDG progress. Countries in East and South Asia have achieved greater SDG progress than those in any other region since 2015. Among major powers, China and India have seen the greatest gains in their SDG Index rankings, rising by 14 and 18 places respectively. Russia’s ranking remains unchanged, while the United States has declined by five positions.

3. Barbados tops the 2026 index of countries’ support for UN-based multilateralism (UN-Mi); the United States is last and a statistical outlier. Barbados stands out as the country most committed to UN-based multilateralism, while the United States ranks last. In 2025, the US federal government declared its open opposition to the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda and, in January 2026, the United States withdrew from more than 60 international organizations. There has been a sharp drop across all world regions in the share of member states’ UNGA votes that align with the United States. The United States voted with the international majority in just 5 percent of UNGA resolutions where a vote was recorded in 2025.

4. Eight lessons stand out from the decade since the goals were adopted; these must guide efforts to accelerate SDG progress. The opening chapter identifies eight priorities for accelerating SDG progress through 2030 and beyond: (1) end ongoing wars and redirect military expenditures toward peace and human development; (2) establish an ambitious timeline for SDG implementation; (3) organize implementation around six major transformations; (4) adopt long-term investment plans to support these transformations; (5) strengthen continental, regional, and local cooperation and investment; (6) introduce new global taxes to finance global public goods; (7) develop global governance frameworks for AI, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies; and (8) establish new UN campuses in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

5. Strengthening implementation is the key priority for the post-2030 agenda. In 2026, SDSN surveyed its networks of experts across 64 countries and one entity, the European Union, as well as more than 1,000 other respondents from 127 countries, to assess government efforts and persistent barriers to SDG implementation. Respondents expressed broad support for maintaining the SDG framework beyond 2030, while placing particular emphasis on the need for stronger implementation mechanisms: adequate financing; effective global, regional and national governance frameworks; and better use of science and data for sustainable development.