This year's report presents how far we have come towards reaching the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It warns that with just 6 years remaining to the 2030 deadline, and nearly a year from reaffirmed commitments at the SDG Summit, current progress falls far short of what is required to meet the targets outlined in the 2030 Agenda. The scarring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and growing climate chaos are hitting SDG progress hard. The report reveals that only 17 per cent of the SDG targets are on track, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third stalling or regressing. The report documents increasing global inequalities, with an additional 23 million people pushed into extreme poverty and over 100 million more suffering from hunger in 2022 compared to 2019. For the first time this century, per-capita GDP growth in half of the world's most vulnerable nations is slower than that in advanced economies. Overall global health progress has decelerated alarmingly since 2015. Many countries have experienced declines in student math and reading skills. Wars are upending millions of lives. The number of forcibly displaced people has reached an unprecedented level, nearly 120 million by May 2024 and civilian casualties spiked by 72 per cent between 2022 and 2023. 2023 was the warmest year on record, with global temperatures nearing the critical 1.5°C threshold. Greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to reach new highs.
