Highest scoring goals
Where United Kingdom is closest to the targets behind the goal, in the 2023 data.
- 1. No Poverty 99.0
- 4. Quality Education 98.2
- 6. Clean Water and Sanitation 94.4
All countries / United Kingdom
United Kingdom
81.7
SDG Index score, 2023 report
0–100, higher is better
0–100, higher is better
#11
of 166 countries worldwide
#11
of 38 in OECD
+1.3
points since 2015, when the goals were adopted
(80.4 → 81.7)
+5.2
points since 2000 (76.5 → 81.7)
79.2
average of the 38 countries in OECD
17/17
goals assessed in the 2023 data
SDG Index score, 2000–2022
The overall index for United Kingdom, against its region and the world.
Lowest scoring goals
Where the greatest distance is left to cover, in the 2023 data.
Most progress since 2015
Largest gain in goal score since the goals were adopted.
Went backwards
Goals scoring lower than they did in 2015.
All 17 goals
Each card shows the 2023 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
- #38 of 151 countries
- #26 of 37 in region
- Top quartile
- -0.8 since 2015
Goal 2
Zero Hunger
68.4
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
- #33 of 166 countries
- #13 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- -0.7 since 2015
Goal 3
Good Health and Well-being
93.1
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
- #19 of 166 countries
- #18 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +1.1 since 2015
Goal 4
Quality Education
98.2
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
- #20 of 166 countries
- #12 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- -0.1 since 2015
Goal 5
Gender Equality
84.1
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- #17 of 166 countries
- #15 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +4.3 since 2015
Goal 6
Clean Water and Sanitation
94.4
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
- #2 of 166 countries
- #2 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- -0.1 since 2015
Goal 7
Affordable and Clean Energy
74.8
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
- #40 of 166 countries
- #25 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +2.3 since 2015
84.0
Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- #26 of 166 countries
- #23 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +1.3 since 2015
91.8
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
- #16 of 166 countries
- #16 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +3.0 since 2015
Goal 10
Reduced Inequalities
71.5
Reduce inequality within and among countries
- #72 of 149 countries
- #31 of 38 in region
- Upper-middle quartile
- -1.1 since 2015
91.3
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
- #13 of 166 countries
- #8 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- -4.7 since 2015
63.5
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
- #134 of 166 countries
- #16 of 38 in region
- Bottom quartile
- +9.3 since 2015
Goal 13
Climate Action
70.9
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
- #128 of 166 countries
- #16 of 38 in region
- Bottom quartile
- +7.0 since 2015
Goal 14
Life Below Water
76.1
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
- #25 of 126 countries
- #7 of 32 in region
- Top quartile
- +3.2 since 2015
Goal 15
Life on Land
86.2
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
- #18 of 166 countries
- #10 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- +0.1 since 2015
81.1
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
- #21 of 166 countries
- #20 of 38 in region
- Top quartile
- -2.5 since 2015
Goal 17
Partnerships for the Goals
59.9
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
- #88 of 166 countries
- #33 of 38 in region
- Lower-middle quartile
- -0.7 since 2015
United Kingdom OECD average all-country average — both taken over the countries assessed on each goal
Summary
Written by a language model from the scores above. Treat it as a reading of the table, not as a source.
About these numbers
- Goal scores run from 0 to 100 and measure distance to target: 0 is the worst outcome observed and 100 means the target has been reached on the indicators behind that goal. They are built to be compared across countries, not across goals.
- The headline score is the published figure. It is the average of all 17 goals, with any goal a country is not assessed on filled in at its region's average for that goal — so for a country with a gap, the 17 numbers below will not average to it.
- The headline score and rankings come from the Sustainable Development Report 2023. The 2000–2022 trends come from the SDG Index 2000-2022, so the two can differ slightly for the same goal.
- Rankings cover the 166 countries in the report. World, regional and income aggregates are excluded from every ranking.
- Comparison markers on each card are unweighted averages of the countries assessed on that goal. The published regional and world aggregates are weighted differently and appear only on their own profile pages.
- Quartile labels describe position within this dataset. They are not the Sustainable Development Report's own dashboard ratings, which are calculated per indicator.
- Get this profile as JSON →
The United Kingdom demonstrates strong progress in sustainable development, with its SDG Index score rising from 76.5 in 2000 to 81.7 in 2023. The country performs exceptionally well in Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 4 (Quality Education), while its lowest performance is seen in Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Overall, the nation's trajectory has been positive, showing an upward trend in development across the two decades. Compared to its regional peers in the OECD, the United Kingdom remains highly competitive, ranking 11th out of 38 countries and maintaining a score that exceeds the regional average of 79.2.