India ranks 116 out of 157 nations on 2017 SDG index

July 14, 2017

India has been ranked low 116 out of 157 nations on the 2017 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index and Dashboard report released by Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Bertelsmann Stiftung.
The index assesses the performance of countries towards achieving the ambitious SDGs. It ranks countries based on their performance across the 17 SDGs.

Key Highlights of 2017 SDG Index and Dashboard report

Top Countries in 2017 SDG Index: Sweden (1st), Denmark (2nd), Finland (3rd), Norway (4th), Czech Republic (5th), Germany (6th), Austria (7th), Switzerland (8th) and Slovenia (9th).United States was ranked 42nd on the Index, Russia and China ranked 62nd and 71st respectively.
It shows that the countries which are closest to fulfilling the objectives of the goals are not the biggest economies but comparably small, developed countries.
India’s performance: India with a score of 58.1 was ranked 116th on the index, behind countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and China. Pakistan was ranked 122. In 2016, India was ranked 110th.
Global Scenario: Rising trend of nationalism and protectionism is impeding the implementation of the goals and industrialised countries are not serving as role model in the implementation of the goals. Many of the richest countries in the world are nowhere near achieving objectives of goals but also deteriorating the implementation process for poorer countries because of negative spillover effects.
Need for urgent action: The report calls for urgent need for action on the part of G20 countries in making sustainable development goals a reality both within and beyond their borders. All countries must take up the goals as part of their national development strategies if the SDGs are to be achieved globally.

About Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The SDGs are the set of 17 non-binding goals featuring 169 targets to be implemented from 2015 to 2030. They were adopted by member countries of United Nations at the 2015 UN Sustainable Development Summit held in New York. These goals intend to achieve sustainable development and are more comprehensive than earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).