All countries / High-income Countries

High-income Countries

Aggregate group Averaged across the countries in this group, not a single country.

78.2 SDG Index score, 2022
0–100, higher is better
+1.8 points since 2015, when the goals were adopted (76.4 → 78.2)
+5.1 points since 2000 (73.1 → 78.2)

SDG Index score, 2000–2022

The overall index for High-income Countries, against the world.

All 17 goals

Each card shows the 2022 score, where it sits among the countries assessed on that goal, and how the score has moved since 2015.

Goal 1

No Poverty

99.0

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

  • Top quartile
  • +0.1 since 2015

Goal 2

Zero Hunger

69.9

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

  • Top quartile
  • 0.0 since 2015
91.3

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

  • Top quartile
  • +0.9 since 2015
94.4

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

  • Upper-middle quartile
  • -0.1 since 2015
75.8

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

  • Upper-middle quartile
  • +4.5 since 2015
71.6

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

  • Upper-middle quartile
  • -1.1 since 2015
75.1

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

  • Top quartile
  • +0.9 since 2015
83.5

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

  • Top quartile
  • +1.2 since 2015
75.1

Reduce inequality within and among countries

  • Upper-middle quartile
  • +2.1 since 2015

Goal 13

Climate Action

61.4

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

  • Bottom quartile
  • +2.1 since 2015
65.0

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

  • Lower-middle quartile
  • +3.8 since 2015

Goal 15

Life on Land

68.5

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

  • Upper-middle quartile
  • +0.1 since 2015
77.1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

  • Top quartile
  • -1.3 since 2015
76.3

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

  • Top quartile
  • +8.1 since 2015

Summary

Written by a language model from the scores above. Treat it as a reading of the table, not as a source.

High-income countries achieved an SDG Index score of 78.2 in 2022, reflecting a positive upward trend from 73.1 in 2000. The group performs exceptionally well in Goal 1 (No Poverty), scoring 99.0, while facing its greatest challenges in Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) with a score of 61.0. While progress has been steady across most metrics, significant gains were noted in industrial innovation. Overall, this group maintains a high level of sustainability performance compared to global averages, though the trajectory shows varying degrees of success across different environmental and social dimensions.

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