Tuesday, 24 June 2025

India’s SDG Score in 2025: Why It Ranks 99th & What Must Change

 

SDG issues in India.

📌 What’s in the News?

According to the 2025 Sustainable Development Report by SDSN (Sustainable Development Solutions Network), the global SDG Index rankings are as follows:

  • 🇮🇳 India: 99th with a score of 67.0

  • 🇨🇳 China: 49th with a score of 74.4

  • 🇺🇸 USA: 44th with a score of 75.2

These scores reflect how well countries are progressing toward the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—ranging from poverty reduction to climate action, gender equality, healthcare, and clean energy.

The question is: Why is India trailing, and what can we learn from nations that are ahead?

🔍 What Are SDGs & Why Do They Matter?

The 17 SDGs are a global blueprint adopted in 2015 by all UN member states to create a more equitable, sustainable, and peaceful future by 2030.

SDGs Include:

  1. No Poverty

  2. Zero Hunger

  3. Good Health and Well-being

  4. Quality Education

  5. Gender Equality

  6. Clean Water and Sanitation

  7. Affordable and Clean Energy
    ...and 10 more interconnected goals.

The SDG Index aggregates national-level data into a composite score (0–100). A score closer to 100 = better progress.

🇮🇳 India's 2025 SDG Performance: Sector Breakdown

Despite being the world's fifth-largest economy, India faces a troubling sustainability paradox.

📉 1. Poverty (SDG 1)

  • Score: 58.0

  • While India lifted millions out of poverty pre-pandemic, income inequality and rural distress persist post-COVID.

  • The informal economy (90% of jobs) lacks social safety nets.

🍽️ 2. Zero Hunger (SDG 2)

  • Score: 51.3

  • High rates of child malnutrition and stunted growth, especially in tribal and rural belts.

  • The Global Hunger Index 2024 ranked India 111th out of 125 countries.

🩺 3. Health & Well-being (SDG 3)

  • Score: 61.9

  • India has made gains in maternal mortality and vaccination, but faces rising NCDs (diabetes, heart disease), and mental health is still underfunded.

📚 4. Quality Education (SDG 4)

  • Score: 65.7

  • Enrollment is high, but learning outcomes remain poor.

  • The ASER 2024 report showed only 45% of grade 5 students can read a grade 2 text.

♀️ 5. Gender Equality (SDG 5)

  • Score: 50.1

  • Female labor force participation remains below 25%.

  • Sharp rise in online gender-based abuse and underrepresentation in leadership roles.

🌱 Environmental Goals: Where India Falls Short

🔥 6. Climate Action (SDG 13)

  • Score: 62.2

  • India is on track to meet its Paris commitments, yet remains:

    • The third-largest CO₂ emitter

    • Highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters (heatwaves, floods)

💧 7. Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6)

  • Score: 59.5

  • Over 163 million people still lack access to safe drinking water.

  • Groundwater depletion is reaching critical levels, especially in Punjab, Delhi, and Rajasthan.

⚡ 8. Clean Energy (SDG 7)

  • Score: 73.8

  • Strong progress in solar energy (100+ GW capacity).

  • Yet, energy poverty still affects remote regions and tribal populations.

🔍 Why China and the U.S. Rank Higher

🇨🇳 China (Score: 74.4 | Rank: 49th)

  • Massive investment in green infrastructure & clean tech

  • Stronger data governance and public service digitization

  • Better urban sanitation and education quality

However, China's human rights record and censorship issues are not captured fully in the SDG metrics.

🇺🇸 USA (Score: 75.2 | Rank: 44th)

  • Strong on healthcare, innovation, and economic output

  • High investment in renewable energy and digital equity

  • Strong progress on SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, Infrastructure)

But the U.S. also has weak spots: income inequality, gun violence, and racial disparities.

🛑 Systemic Challenges Holding India Back

  1. Data Gaps
    Many SDG indicators suffer from outdated, incomplete, or inconsistent data, especially in marginalized communities.

  2. Inter-State Inequality
    Kerala and Himachal perform well on SDGs; Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP lag dramatically.

  3. Political Fragmentation
    Policy continuity across states and center is weak—many SDG-aligned programs are poorly implemented.

  4. Urban Bias
    Most policies are urban-centric; rural sustainability is severely underfunded.

  5. Digital Divide
    Digital transformation is not inclusive. Internet access in rural women, for instance, is below 40%.

🛠️ What India Must Do Next: 6 Actionable Solutions

✅ 1. Create an India-Specific SDG Action Scorecard

  • Focus on state-level metrics

  • Monthly updates via public dashboards to increase accountability

✅ 2. Triple Investment in Education and Nutrition

  • Increase public spending from 3% to 6% of GDP on education

  • Prioritize anganwadi centers and mid-day meal expansion

✅ 3. Promote Green Jobs and Skills

  • Solar installers, e-waste managers, green auditors can create 1 crore+ jobs by 2030

✅ 4. Strengthen Local Governance

  • Empower panchayats with real-time data to act on sanitation, water access, and health

✅ 5. Public-Private Partnerships for Tech Solutions

  • Use AI + satellite tech for crop monitoring, water mapping, and smart distribution

✅ 6. Gender Budgeting + Safety Infrastructure

  • Allocate targeted funds to improve female participation in work & leadership

🔮 Conclusion: A Wake-Up Call for India

India's 99th rank in the 2025 SDG Index isn’t just a number—it's a mirror. A mirror reflecting deep inequalities, policy execution gaps, and the urgent need for sustainable systems, not short-term schemes.

📢 The 2030 deadline is five years away. India’s ambition must match its scale.
✊ It's time to act—not just plan.

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