The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 Contents Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A road map out of crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Thinking beyond crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Goal 1 No poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Goal 2 Zero hunger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Goal 3 Good health and well-being . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Goal 4 Quality education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Goal 5 Gender equality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Goal 7 Affordable and clean energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Goal 8 Decent work and economic growth . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Goal 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure . . . . . . . . 44 Goal 10 Reduced inequalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Goal 11 Sustainable cities and communities . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Goal 12 Responsible consumption and production . . . . . 50 Goal 13 Climate action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Goal 14 Life below water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Goal 15 Life on land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Goal 16 Peace, justice and strong institutions . . . . . . . . . . 58 Goal 17 Partnership for the Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Note to the reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Regional groupings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 Foreword As the world faces cascading and interlinked global crises and The Ukraine conflict has also caused food, fuel and fertilizer prices to conflicts, the aspirations set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable skyrocket. It has further disrupted supply chains and global trade and Development are in jeopardy. With the COVID-19 pandemic in caused distress in financial markets. By current estimates, the war its third year, the war in Ukraine is exacerbating food, energy, could cut global economic growth by 0.9 percentage points in 2022, humanitarian and refugee crises – all against the background of a as well as undermine development aid to the world’s poor. full-fledged climate emergency. Using current data, The Sustainable These situations will only deteriorate with climate change, which Development Goals Report 2022 provides evidence of t he destructive acts as a “crisis multiplier”, and whose impacts are already being impacts of these crises on the achievement o f t h e S u s tainable felt across the globe. Increased heatwaves, droughts and floods Development Goals (SDGs). are affecting billions of people worldwide, contributing further to The COVID-19 pandemic has so far directly or indirecAtly r ceocsot mthme itment bpyo vgeortvye, hrnunmgeern atsn,d c initsiteasb,i libtyu. sTihnee sCsOeVs,ID a-n19d pianndduesmtrici easn dto th een wsaurr e that the lives of close to 15 million people. Global hearlethc osyvsetreym sre hdauvec ebse ecna rbon eimn Uisksriaoinnes h, acvoen fusretrhveer sd enlaaytuedr atlh er eusrgoeunrtclye ns,e ecdreeda tterasn bsietitotne rt oj obs, advances overwhelmed and many essential health sergviecneds ehra veeq bueaelni tdyis arunpdte tda,c klegsr egernoewr eincogn opmovieesr. tBya saendd o nin ceuqrrueanlti ntiaetiso nisa la c ofmurmthitemre inmtsp, gelroabtaivl e. As this posing major threats to progress in fighting orethpeor rdte sahdolyw dsis,e tahsees a. vailabilgirteye nohfo huisgeh g-aqs ueamliistsyi odnast aar ei ss eatl tsoo i nccrrietiacsae lb, yh aelmlpoinstg 1 4d peecri scieonnt -makers to Many millions more people are now living inu enxdtreermstea pnodv ewrthy earned investmoevnetrs t hcea cnu hrraevnte d tehcea dger. eatest impact; but improved data collection will suffering from increased hunger compared tnoo ptr eh-appanpdeenm wici ltehvoelust. increaTsoe dre dcoavtear ffirnoman tchien CgO, fVrIoDm-19 b poatnhd einmtiecr annadt idoenliavle ra gnldob dalo mestic resources. An estimated 147 million children missed more than half of their sustainability, we need an urgent rescue effort for the SDGs. We in-person instruction over the past two years, signific antly affecting The challenges arem iumstm deeliver on our commitments to support the worldtheir learning and well-being. Women have been disproportionately nse but there are also reasons for hope. ’ sT mhoes tC OVID-19 crisis vulnerable people, communities and nations. Creating a global affected by the socioeconomic fallout of thed peamndoenmsitcr,a stterudg ignlisnpg iwriitnhg community resilience, highlighted the herculean work by essential lost jobs, increased burdens of unpaid care woorkr kaenrds in myriad fields a encdo nfoamciyl itthaatte wdo trhkes froarp aildl w an intensifying e ilxl preaqnusirieo nbo oldf ascoticoina.l G prreoatteerc tion, the acceleration investment in data infrastructure is needed to efficiently target silent epidemic of domestic violence. of digital transformation ainnvde ustnmpernetcse ndoewn, taendti cwipoarteld fwutuidree dceomllaanbdos,r aavtiooidn c orinse tsh fero dme velopment of The current global economic recovery is fragvialec acnind epsa.t c hAy , bwriitgh hter futurdee sisc epnodsinsgi binleto. f uWll-eb lmowuns ct ounsfleic tth aen dc rpilsains t htoe utrragnenstf ostremps onuere dwedo rld, deliver concerns related to new COVID-19 variants,o rnis itnhge in 2fl0at3io0n A, mgaejonrd a and kteoe apc hoieuvre p throe m20i3se0 tAog ecnudrar.ent and future generations. supply-chain disruptions, growing labour ma rket pressures and unsustainable debt in developing countries. With vaccine distribution grossly unequal across the globe, there is a s tark two-tiered COVID-19 recovery, sharpening the growing sense of in justice among people around the world and increasing the urgency to tackle deep and persistent inequalities. Against this backdrop, the world is enduring the highest number of António Guterres conflicts since the creation of the United Nations. Approximately António Guterres 2 billion people live in conflict-affected countries. Refugees were Secretary-General of the United Nations at the highest number on record in 2021 and forced displacement is continuing to grow, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. As of the end of May 2022, some 6.5 million refugees had fled Ukraine alone, mostly women and children. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 2 The Sustainable Development Goals: a road map out of crisis The world is facing a confluence of crises that threaten the very from the pandemic. In least developed countries, economic growth survival of humanity. All of these crises – and ways to prevent and remains sluggish and the unemployment rate is worsening. navigate them – are addressed holistically in the SDGs. We ignore As always, women, children and other vulnerable populations are them at our own peril. bearing the brunt of the crises. Child labour and child marriage are The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 charts progress on the rise. Anxiety and depression among adolescents and young towards realizing the 17 Goals. It is a collaborative effort between people have increased significantly. Around 40 per cent of people the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and more than forcibly displaced worldwide are children, many of whom have 50 international and regional agencies, based on millions of data suffered immeasurable damage and disruption to their lives and points provided by over 200 countries and areas. This year’s report development due to conflict. Women struggle with the constraints of paints a particularly sobering picture. Using the latest available lost jobs and livelihoods, derailed schooling and increased burdens data and estimates, it reveals that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable of unpaid care work at home. Meanwhile, existing evidence suggests Development is in grave jeopardy due to multiple, cascading that domestic violence has been exacerbated by the pandemic. and intersecting crises. COVID-19, climate change and conflict Staying ahead of the curve predominate. Each of them, and their complex interactions, impact To stay ahead of these crises, we need to understand where we are all of the Goals, creating spin-off crises in food and nutrition, health, and where we are headed, and that will require significant investment education, the environment, and peace and security. To put the world in our data and information infrastructure. Policies, programmes and on track to sustainability will require concerted action on a global resources aimed at protecting people during this most challenging scale. time will inevitably fall short without the evidence needed to focus Cascading and intersecting crises interventions. Timely, high-quality and disaggregated data can help Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc trigger more targeted responses, anticipate future needs, and hone on almost every aspect of our lives. And it is still far from over. The the design of urgently needed actions. To emerge stronger from the pandemic wiped out more than four years of progress on poverty crisis and prepare for unknown challenges ahead, funding statistical eradication and pushed 93 million more people into extreme poverty development must be a priority for national governments and the in 2020. It has disrupted essential health services, resulting in a drop international community. in immunization coverage for the first time in a decade and a rise in A road map for survival deaths from tuberculosis and malaria, among many other impacts. The severity and magnitude of the challenges before us demand Prolonged school closures put 24 million learners – from pre-primary sweeping changes on a scale not yet seen in human history. We must to university levels – at risk of not returning to school. start by ending armed conflicts and embarking on a path of diplomacy The immediacy of the COVID-19 crisis is now overshadowed by the and peace – a precondition for sustainable development. We simply existential threat of climate change. Increased heatwaves, droughts cannot tolerate war and the senseless loss of precious lives and and apocalyptic wildfires and floods are already affecting billions of resources it entails. people around the globe and causing potentially irreversible damage Second, we must adopt low-carbon, resilient and inclusive to the Earth’s ecosystems. For example, continuing ocean acidification development pathways that will reduce carbon emissions, conserve and rising water temperatures are endangering marine species, natural resources, transform our food systems, create better jobs and including coral reefs, which are considered the “rainforests of the advance the transition to a greener, more inclusive and just economy. sea” for the biodiversity they support. To avoid the worst effects of The road map laid out in the SDGs is clear. Just as the impact of crises climate change, as set out in the Paris Agreement, global greenhouse is compounded when they are linked, so are solutions. When we gas emissions will need to peak before 2025 and then decline by 43 take action to strengthen social protection systems, improve public per cent by 2030, falling to net zero by 2050. Instead, under current services and invest in clean energy, for example, we address the voluntary national commitments to climate action, greenhouse gas root causes of increasing inequality, environmental degradation and emissions will rise by nearly 14 per cent by 2030. climate change. Concurrently, the world is witnessing the largest number of violent Third, nothing short of a comprehensive transformation of the conflicts since 1946, with one quarter of the global population now international financial and debt architecture will be required to living in conflict-affected countries. As of May 2022, a record 100 accomplish these aims and to avoid a two-track recovery, with million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. The developing countries left behind. The stakes could not be higher. If outbreak of war in Ukraine has caused food, fuel and fertilizer prices humanity is to survive, we must survive together, leaving no one behind. to skyrocket, disrupted supply chains and global trade, and roiled financial markets, fuelling the threat of a global food crisis. Protecting the vulnerable All the while, developing countries are battling record inflation, rising interest rates and looming debt burdens. With competing priorities Liu Zhenmin and limited fiscal space, many are struggling unsuccessfully to recover Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs 3 A road map out of crisis Thinking beyond crisis: using the pandemic to advance high-quality, timely and inclusive data The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it. At the on health, jobs, migration, violence against women and a range of same time, it has forced new ways of thinking and opened up new other issues. Yet the level of responses among national statistical opportunities. The global statistical community is exploring ways to systems differed widely. Those that already had a solid and seize these opportunities and learn from the pandemic. Its aim: to take well-established data system have been better equipped to react that knowledge forward to provide better data for better lives – now creatively to the crisis. and in what may be turbulent years ahead. Moreover, the path to success was not always straightforward. The impact of COVID-19 on national statistics offices (NSOs) around Innovations and new approaches, without careful attention to design the world was dramatic. At the start of the pandemic, in-person data and assessment, can inadvertently reinforce inequality and exclusion. collection was abruptly halted in almost all countries. Meanwhile, data In addition, NSOs needed to develop effective communication demand for policymaking and to inform the general public reached strategies to address the “pandemic” of misinformation and a new high. In seeking to understand the impact of the virus, for disinformation about COVID-19. example, public health authorities needed timely and disaggregated As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, timely, disaggregated death statistics. But monthly mortality data are still not available in and high-quality data are more important than ever. What are the majority of countries. Moreover, many NSOs lack the information needed now are further investments in data and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to carry out their infrastructure, drawing from lessons learned during the pandemic. daily work remotely. Compounding these problems was the fact that The objective is to get ahead of the crisis so that we can trigger domestic and external funding for statistical activities has been cut more timely responses, anticipate future needs, and design the back in many countries, particularly those that need it most. urgent actions needed to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Despite the challenges, many NSOs found new ways to get the job Development. done. One of them was using non-traditional data sources, such The analysis that follows is based on four rounds of global surveys as mobile phone data, satellite imagery and citizen-generated monitoring the effects of the pandemic on national statistical data, along with new modes of data collection, such as web- or operations between May 2020 and May 2021, carried out jointly by telephone-based or mix-mode interviews. The offices encouraged the United Nations Statistics Division and the World Bank. It also collaborative efforts and played a stronger coordination role within draws on a survey on the implementation of the Cape Town Global national data ecosystems. Such initiatives have provided the data Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data, carried out in August needed to better understand the course and effects of the crisis and September 2021. Despite some progress, serious data gaps persist in SDG monitoring Considerable progress has been made in the availability of only 7 out of 21 indicators that require disaggregation by both sex internationally comparable data for SDG monitoring: the number of and age. When considering other disaggregation dimensions such as indicators included in the global SDG database increased from 115 disability status, the picture is even murkier. Out of 10 SDG indicators in 2016 to 217 in 2022. However, significant data gaps still exist in that require disaggregation by disability status, data are available for terms of geographic coverage, timeliness and level of disaggregation, only 2 of them. making it difficult to fully comprehend the pace of progress towards the realization oTwf ot hdieff e2r0en3t 0gu Aideg leaynedrsa f,o dr tiwffoe-r aenndc therse ea-clinreo tsitsle rse. gions and Proportion of countries or areas with available data since 2015, by Goal Guides for edge of right-aligned text and bars are uniform (and account for (percentage) who is being lefstp abce hfoirn odth. er languages). For 8 of the 17 SSwDaGtcshe, sf eawre eofr ftuhll,a 75%, 50% and 100 n half of the2 51%9 3co cloor.untries or areas All bars should be 0p6 wide have internatiowniathll 0y scpoamcinpg awriathbinl eco duanttray cfarotemgo r2ie0s 15 or later. While Goal 3 (health) and Goanadl 07p (2e snpaecrigngy )b ehtwaeveen tchouen htriyg chaetesgto rdieas 80 t.a availability (more than 80 per cenIf W0tp 6o o sf rld, LD p caociungn Ct,r LieDsS ohra SvIDeS a cta tleegories are spaced apart, from main regions. ast one data point since 2015), 60 only around 20N pumerb ecre lanbte olsf s hcouuldn bteri iensi dhea cvoelo rd baatras ( ifdoera lGly)o aanld 1 03p 3( cfrloim eadtgee . action). If outside, left-aligned and 0p3 away. Number line 0p2 below bottom bar. Stroke .25pt. 40 Also insufficienTti cakr mea drkiss a0pg3g lroengg.a Tteexdt 0 dpa1 btael ofwo rt imck omnaritko. ring the progress of vulnerable pLoepguenlad tciaoteng gorioesu rpigsh.t -Aalimgnoedn, g1p t0h aep a3r2t, 0SpD3 Gbe tiwnedeinc acotlor sb ubble and 20 with a requiremteexnt.t of sex disaggregation, only 21 have the latest Legend color bubble 0p6. disaggregated dLeagtean da 0vpa6il baeblolew innu mmboers ltin ce olaubneltsr. iAensy (nmoteo 0rep 6t hbealonw 8 le0g epned.r cent 0 G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10 G11 G12 G13 G14 G15 G16 G17 of countries haNveot ea tu sleesa hsatn oginnge i nddaetnat. point since 2015); for 8 indicators, no sex disaggregated data are available at all. Data are available for The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 4 COVID-19 made clear the need for a strong statistical foundation COVID-19 posed a serious threat to already struggling national Proportion of countries that stopped face-to-face data collection, statistical systems and was a wake-up call to the need for stronger May 2020–May 2021 (percentage) statistical and ICT foundations. In May 2020, 96 per cent of 100 countries put a full or partial stop to face-to-face data collection 27 31 due to national lockdown measures. One year later, in May 2021, 80 disruptions in face-to-face data collection were still occurring in 4369 60 57 per cent of countries. Countries that only relied on in-person 58 29 data collection before the pandemic were heavily affected, while 40 countries with experience in remote data collection, or that 31 had experimented with it, were at a considerable advantage. 20 28 For example, in the United Kingdom, the immediate roll-out of 0 a time-use survey during the pandemic benefited from earlier May 2020 July 2020 October 2020 May 2021 experimentation with remote data collection. The survey, carried out Yes, fully Yes, partly through the Internet, enabled policymakers to understand how the pandemic changed the way people spent their time. lag of 5 to 10 years; and mortality data for older people are often not One crack in the statistical foundation exposed during the pandemic collected. was a lack of national mortality data for adults, which is needed to ICT infrastructure has been crucial during the pandemic in helping understand the true death toll of COVID-19. When a United Nations countries carry out data collection and training remotely as well as Technical Advisory Group was tasked with estimating national and in storing data and fostering collaboration. In July 2020, only 62 global COVID-19-related excess mortality, they found that only 38 per cent of all responding countries reported having sufficient ICT per cent of countries had the required monthly mortality data from capabilities for remote training, and only 55 per cent had sufficient January 2020 to December 2021. This lack of underlying data reflects cloud computing services for remote data storage and data a serious flaw in national vital statistics systems, which encompass exchange. There is a divide between countries at different income death registration, household surveys and population censuses. levels. High-income countries were more equipped in terms of ICT, Death registration in many countries is incomplete and delayed; data while low- and lower-middle-income countries were much less collection through censuses and surveys provides data with a time prepared. The crisis is helping to shape the future of innovation The COVID-19 crisis has been an extraordinary challenge for national Proportion of countries that reported the use of innovative approaches to statistical systems. It has also been an opportunity to experiment measure the impact of COVID-19, May 2020 (percentage) with innovative data collection methods, explore new data sources Phone survey 82 and modernize ICT infrastructures to meet data demands for Web surveys 37 policymaking. Throughout that process, the importance of fully Administrative data 27 inclusive data was made evident. Moving forward, experiences during Model-based estimate 14 the pandemic can be used to inform the future of innovation in official Phone call detail records 10 statistics. Scanner data 7 At the beginning of the crisis, more than 80 per cent of countries Social media 5 indicated they would be using phone surveys to collect data to Remote sensing/satellite imagery 5 measure the impact of COVID-19, and 37 per cent said they would Citizen-generated data/crowdsourcing 4 be using web surveys – a significant increase from the pre-pandemic level. Administrative data, model-based estimates and non-traditional 0 20 40 60 80 100 data sources – including phone call detail records, scanner data, social media, remote sensing and citizen-generated data – were all considered by countries. Proportion of countries that significantly improved ICT readiness in the past six In addition, many NSOs accelerated modernization of their ICT months, May 2021 (percentage) systems. In May 2021, 58 per cent of NSOs reported improvements Deployed new collaboration software in their overall ICT readiness over the previous six months. The main (such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, 85 Zoom, etc.) actions taken were deploying new collaboration software (85 per Provided new equipment to staff 73 cent) and providing new equipment to staff (73 per cent). Another Deployed new remote access tools 61 significant action for improving ICT readiness highlighted by NSOs (VPN, Virtual Desktop, Mobile Office) Provided training on remote was deploying new remote access tools such as virtual private collaboration, use of remote access tools 56 network (VPN), Virtual Desktop and Mobile Office (61 per cent). Provided Internet access to staff working from home 33 Overall ICT readiness significantly improved in the past six months 58 0 20 40 60 80 100 5 Thinking beyond crisis The pandemic was a reminder to leave no one behind Collecting data on vulnerable population groups, such as migrants living in institutions, such as nursing homes and other residential and persons with disabilities, is crucial in identifying the challenges care facilities, homeless shelters and prisons, all of which have been they face and understanding who are being left behind. The use of heavily affected by the pandemic. innovative approaches, such as mobile phone surveys and artificial intelligence, should be accompanied by an assessment to ensure Proportion of countries having difficulty collecting data on specific population groups, by income group, May 2021 (percentage) that innovations are not inadvertently excluding or harming the most 49 vulnerable groups. Migrants 4025 For example, the digital divide in mobile phone ownership and 39 29 Internet access was cited as the main reason for not reaching certain Older persons 2525 population groups during the pandemic. Among countries surveyed, 27 37 39 per cent had difficulties adequately collecting data on migrants, 27 Persons with disabilities 2018 per cent had difficulties collecting data on older persons, and 27 per 27 cent had difficulties with data on persons with disabilities. Moreover, 0 10 20 30 40 50 traditional surveys that focus only on households leave out individuals Low and lower-middle income Upper-middle income High income World NSOs need to strengthen coordination within national data ecosystems During the pandemic, partnerships were formed among government coordination within the data ecosystem was satisfactory. The agencies, academic institutions, local governments, private satisfaction level varied by income level: it averaged 25 per cent in businesses and civil society organizations to collect urgently high-income countries, but only 8 per cent in low- and lower-middle- needed data for policymaking. Such collaboration fostered new income countries. ideas and resources; it also increased the resulting data’s inclusivity, Proportion of national statistics offices that felt their capacity to coordinate timeliness and utilization. National statistics offices played a stronger within the larger data ecosystem could be improved, by income group, coordination role in many countries. The Statistics Institute of August–September 2021 (percentage) Jamaica, for example, partnered with the Ministry of Health and other experts in leading a committee to match data demand with available High-income countries 74 data needed to guide policy during the crisis. To help fill data gaps Upper-middle-income countries 26 56 on the SDGs, the National Bureau of Statistics of Kenya initiated Low- and lower-middle-income countries 18 74 partnerships with civil society organizations and integrated a set of World 14 69 quality criteria for citizen-generated data in its newly released Kenya Statistical Quality Assurance Framework. 0 20 40 60 80 100 It was and remains unsatisfactory It has improved, but could be better Despite all the effort, NSOs from many countries felt they could do better in coordinating work within the national data ecosystem. Globally, only 17 per cent of countries surveyed felt that their The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 6 Effective communication strategies helped combat misinformation and disinformation The pandemic placed unprecedented demands on NSOs around the Proportion of national statistics offices that carried out activities to educate world. In addition to setting the gold standard for data quality within and reach data users in the past three years, by income group, a country, these offices were expected to take the lead in correcting August–September 2021 (percentage) the abundance of misinformation and disinformation circulating Use of social media about the impact of COVID-19. To do so, NSOs needed to relay their Participation in external events findings to different data users through new and more traditional such as conferences approaches to outreach. However, surveys indicated major gaps in Press conferences or press releases the approaches used depending on the income level of a country. Tailored publications The use of newer, more innovative approaches, such as social media, for specific groups publication programmes targeted to specific user groups, seminars, Senior management appearing eLearning platforms, live chat sessions and podcasts, was favoured on mass media by higher-income countries, while low- and lower-middle-income Seminars, including eLearning, live chat sessions, podcasts countries favoured more traditional approaches to user engagement. Specific sections for different types These included press conferences, traditional media appearances, of users on the website general awareness campaigns, presentations, conferences and launch Awareness campaigns events. These findings signal an area for collective action by the 0 20 40 60 80 100 statistical community. The opportunity is ripe to take advantage of High-income countries Upper-middle-income countries Low- and lower-middle- modern communication channels and produce tailored support and income countries data products to reach different user groups. Increased investment in data and statistics is urgently needed During the pandemic, 40 per cent of NSOs saw data collection costs This reaffirms the urgency of implementing important frameworks, rise, while government funding for 48 per cent of NSOs was cut back. including the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable In sub-Saharan Africa, 61 per cent of countries saw these costs rise, Development Data, the Dubai Declaration and the Bern Data Compact while 71 per cent saw a drop in government funding and 59 per cent for the Decade of Action on the Sustainable Development Goals, all saw a drop in donor funding for NSOs. This trend was corroborated by agreed by the data community during the United Nations World Data an analysis of official development assistance for data and statistics, Forums, to build statistical capacity and adopt an innovative demand- which showed that funding for many basic data activities was quickly driven funding mechanism that can respond quickly and efficiently to deprioritized at the beginning of the pandemic. NSOs in two thirds of the priorities of national statistical systems, with the goal of mobilizing countries eligible for borrowing from the International Development both domestic and international funds. Association (IDA) also experienced either moderate or severe delays in budget disbursement at the beginning of the 2021 fiscal year. Proportion of national statistics offices that experienced a reduction in funding from government and donors/other sources since the beginning of the Over the next three years, NSOs in most IDA countries are expecting pandemic, May 2021 (percentage) to face significant funding shortages for targeted programmes 71 from development aid providers. Over two thirds (69 per cent) of Sub-Saharan Africa 59 67 countries surveyed identified business and agricultural censuses Latin America and the Caribbean 20 as the area that will face the most significant funding shortages, Northern Africa and Western Asia 6729 followed by population and housing censuses (56 per cent) and Central and Southern Asia 4317 household surveys (52 per cent). In terms of policy sectors that will Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 4338 require additional support over this time period, health statistics was Oceania 4033 identified as a top priority by 76 per cent of IDA countries. Europe and Northern America 165 The last two years have seen a major blow to the world’s economy World 4829 and people, and lower-income countries were hit particularly hard. Investing in data capacities and data partnerships to leave no one 0 20 40 60 80 behind, build trust and fill data gaps to achieve the SDGs must be a From government From donors and other sources priority for national governments and the international community if countries are to rely upon evidence-based policy responses to emerge stronger from the crisis and face the unknown challenges ahead. 7 Thinking beyond crisis Overview End poverty in all its forms everywhere Working poverty More than rate rose for the first time in two decades 4 years of progress 7.2% against poverty 6.7% has been erased by COVID-19 2019 2020 p u s h i n g a n a d d i t i o n a l 8 million workers i n t o p o v e r t y Rising inflation and impacts of war in Ukraine further derail progress Unemployment cash benefits during the pandemic (2020) number of people living in extreme poverty in 2022 High-income Low-income countries countries 581 657-676 million million 52.2% 0.8% pre-pandemic current projection projection Disaster-related deaths Rose sixfold in 2020 largely as a result of the Pandemic The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 8 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Conflict, COVID-19, climate change SoarinG food prices and growing inequalities affected are converging to undermine food security worldwide 47% of countries in 2020 (up from 16% in 2019) About 1 in 10 people 149.2 million worldwide are children suffering from hunger UNDER AGE 5 SUFFER from stunting (2020) Nearly 1 in 3 people To reduce stunting iN lack regular access children by 50% by 2030, to adequate food (2020) annual rate of decline must double (from 2.1 to 3.9% per year) Ukraine crisis triggered food shortages for the world's poorest people Ukraine and the Russian 30% 20% 80% Federation supply of Wheat of Maize of Sunflower seeD Products global exports: 9 Overview Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages COVID-19 is threatening decades of progress in global health Infected more than Led to Disrupted essential Halted 500 million 15 million health services: progress on people deaths 92% of universal worldwide countries health (mid-2022) (2020-2021) (end 2021) coverage Global prevalence of Deaths from life Immunization anxiety / tuberculosis expectancy coverage depression & malaria 22.7 million children missed basic Pandemic claimed the lives of vaccines in 2020 115,500 front-line health-care workers 3.7 million more than in 2019 1.3 Tuberculosis deaths 1.2 Million Million rise for the first time since 2005 2019 2020 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 10 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all COVID-19 pandemic 24 million learners has deepened a (pre-primary to university level) global learning crisis may never return to school 147 million children missed over half of in-person instruction in 2020-2021 Education is a lifeline for children in crises Entrenched inequities in education have remote learning only worsened during the pandemic is offered to 3 million ukrainian children in the chaos of war (April 2022) Many countries are improving school infrastructure as classrooms reopen Globally, primary schools 25% 50%LACK LACK (2019-2020) electricity drinking basic COMPUTERS INTERNET water sanitation ACCESS 11 Overview Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls It would take another 40 years office Women accounted for for women and men to be represented 39% but equally in national political leadership of total employment 45% at the current pace in 2019, of global employment losses in 2020 Women’s share in national parliaments 26.2% More than 1 in 4 women22.4% (15+ years) 2015 2022 have been subjected to intimate partner violence (641 million) gender-responsive budgeting at least once in their lifetime needs to be strengthened Only 57% of women (15-49 years) Proportion of 26% comprehensivecountries with systems are making their own informed systems to track 59% some featuresof a system decisions on sex andgender-budget allocations lacking minimum elements reproductive health care (2018-2021) 15% of such a system (64 countries, 2007-2021) The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 12 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all The world’s water-related ecosystems are BEING degraded at an alarming rate For at least 3 billion people, the quality of the water they depend on is Over the past 300 years, unknown due to a lack over 85% of monitoring of the planet’s wetlands million people have been lost 733+ live in countries with high and Meeting drinking water, sanitation and hygiene targets critical levels of water stress by 2030 requires a 4x increase in the pace of progress (2019) At current rates, in 2030 Only one quarter of reporting countries 1.6 billion people 2.8 billion people 1.9 billion people have >90% of their will lack will lack will lack Basic transboundary waters safely managed safely managed Hand Hygiene covered by operational drinking water Sanitation facilities arrangements (2020) 13 Overview Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Impressive progress in electrification Progress in energy efficiency needs to speed up has slowed to achieve global climate goals Annual energy-intensity improvement rate Due to the challenge of reaching those hardest to reach 1.9% 3.2% number of people without electricity Actual Needed (2010-2019) (to 2030) 1.2 733 679 2.4 Billion People Billion Million Million 2010 2020 2030 still use inefficient and (Based on Current trend) polluting cooking systems (2020) International financial flows to Total rreenneewwaabbllee e enneerrggyy developing countries for renewables consumption increased by declined for a second year in a row a quarter between 2010 and 2019, but the share of renewables in total $24.7 final energy consumption is only billion $14.3 billion $10.9 billion 17.7% (2019) 2017 2018 2019 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 14 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all global economic recovery Global unemployment is hampered by: to remain above pre-pAndemic level until at least 22002233 6.6 % 6.2 % New Waves of Rising Supply-Chain 5.4 % COvid-19 Inflation Disruptions GLOBAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 2019 2020 2021 Policy Labour Market Uncertainties Challenges 11 i inn 1 100 children are engaged IN child labour worldwide Global economic recovery is further set back by the Ukraine crisis 160 million total children (2020) annual growth rate of Global real GDP per capita (%) (2018–2023) 4.4 Recovery Worker productivity has rebounded, 3.0 but not in LDCs 2.5 2.1 2.1 UKRAINE CRISIS growth in output per worker 3.2 % 1.6 % -4.4 COVID-19 -0.6 % 2015-2019 2020 2021 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 (projected) 15 Overview Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Global manufacturing Small-scale industries lack access to financial has rebounded from the pandemic support for recovery but LDCs are left behind Manufacturing Growth Only 1 in 3 small manufacturers are benefiting from a loan or line of credit (2020-2021) World LDCS Passenger airline industry 2015 2018 2021 is still struggling to (estimated) recoup catastrophic losses 4.5 Billion Higher-technology industries 2.3 are far more resilient in crises Billion than their lower-tech counterparts 2019 2021 2.3 billion passengers in 2021, Manufacturing production Index compared with 4.5 billion in 2019 Medium-High and 130 High technology 120 MediumTechnology 1 in 3 manufacturing jobs 110 Low are negatively impacted by the crisis Technology 100 2019 2020 2021 2021 (Q2) (Q2) (q2) (q4) The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 16 Reduce inequality within and among countries Pandemic 5,895 migrants has caused the first rise in between-country income inequality in a generation lost their lives in 2021 Change in between-country income inequality (2013-2021) the deadliest year since COVID-19 2017 for migrants1.2% projection 2013-2017 2017-2021 1 in 5 -2.6% Without Covid-19projection people have experienced -3.8% discrimination on at least one of the grounds prohibited under international human rights law Number of refugees outside their country of origin Global refugee figure increased by 44% between 2015 and 2021 hits record high War in Ukraine pushes the world total even higher 216 per 100,000 people 311 per 100,000 people (2015) (mid-2021) 17 Overview Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Leaving no one behind will require an intensified focus on 1 billion slum dwellers Number of countries with local disaster risk reduction strategies nearly doubled between 2015 and 2021 (51 to 98 countries) As cities grow, municipal solid waste problems mount Globally, municipal solid waste 99% 82% 55% of the collected managed in controlled world’s urban facilities (2022) population breathe polluted air In sub-Saharan Africa, according to new world Health Organization less than 1/3 of city dwellers have convenient air quality guidelines access to public transportation of PM2.5 <5 ug/m3 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 18 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Unsustainable patterns Our reliance on of consumption and production are root cause oF natural resources is increasing Triple planetary crises rising over 65% globally from 2000 to 2019 Climate Biodiversity Pollution change loss Too much food is being lost or wasted Vast majority of the in every country every day world’s electronic waste is not being safely managed E-waste collection rates (2019) Harvesting Transport Storage processing 1.2% 1.6% 13.3% of the world’s food is lost after harvesting and before reaching retail markets Latin America and sub-Saharan the Caribbean Africa 46.9% 22.8% House Grocery store Household Restaurant Europe anD Global average Northern America 17% of total food is wasted at the consumer level 19 Overview Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts Climate change is humanity’s “code red” warning our window to avoid climate catastrophe is closing rapidly drought estimated to Medium- to large-scale different temperature sea level will rise displace 700 million disasters will increase scenarios for coral reefs 30-60 cm by 2100 people by 2030 40% from 2015 to 2030 70%-90% die off gone completely 1.5 °C scenario 2 °C scenario Coral reefs sea level rise droughts disasters Energy-related Climate finance CO2 emissions falls short of $100 billion increased yearly commitment 6% in 2021 Developed countries reaching highest provided $79.6 billion level ever in climate finance in 2019 Rising global temperatures continue unabated, leading to more extreme weather 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2021 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 20 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, sea and marine resources for sustainable development our ocean the planet’s largest ecosystem is endangered Plastic/marine pollution Increasing acidification is threatening marine life and limiting the ocean’s capacity to moderate climate change Over- Ocean fishing warming The ocean absorbs around 1/4 of global annual CO₂ emissions Acidification Eutrophication 90% of the Plastic pollution world's fishers is choking the ocean are employed in small-scale fisheries 17+ million metric tons who need accelerated of plastic entered support due to the the ocean in 2021 pandemic projected to double or triple by 2040 21 Overview Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss 10 Million Biodiversity is largely neglected in covid-19 recovery spending hheeccttaarreess o off f foorreesstt are destroyed every year $ $ Almost 90% of global deforestation $ $ is due to agricultural expansion Around 40,000 species are documented 49.6% 38.5% to be at risk of extinction over the cropland expansion livestock grazing coming decades Nearly half of freshwater, terrestrial anD mountain key biodiversity areas are protected 133 Parties have ratified % the Nagoya Protocol, 40 which addresses access to Freshwater genetic resources Terrestrial and their fair and equitable use Mountain 20 2000 2021 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 22 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels PLEAS FOR GLOBAL PEACE GROW LOUDER WORLD IS WITNESSING LARGEST NUMBER OF VIOLENT CONFLICTS SINCE 1946 1/3 OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION AND MOSTLY WOMEN A Q U A R T E R O F T H E FEAR WALKING ALONE IN GLOBAL POPULATION THEIR NEIGHBOURHOODS AT NIGHT LIVES IN CONFLICT-AFFECTED COUNTRIES (END 2020) A RECORD Global homicide rate declined 100 MILLION PEOPLE 5.2% between2015 and 2020 HAD BEEN FORCIBLY DISPLACED WORLDWIDE (MAY 2022) falls short of the “significant reduction” by 2030 targeted in the SDGs CORRUPTION IS FOUND IN EVERY REGION ALMOST 1 IN 6 BUSINESSES HAVE RECEIVED BRIBE REQUESTS FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS 23 Overview Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Rising debt burdens Internet threaten developing countries’ uptake accelerated pandemic recovery during the pandemic % of individuals using Debt to GNI ratio rose sharply in the Internet sub-Saharan Africa countries 43.7% 23.4% 54% 63% 2019 2021 2011 2020 In 2021 Net ODA reached a new higH of $177.6 billion, largely due oda for sdg data to COVID-related aiD declined by more than Foreign direct investment 18% rebounded to $1.58 trillion, in 2020 up 64% from 2020 Remittances reached $605 billion, up 8.6% from 2020 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 24 Leaving no one behind MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES A n e s t i m at e d ARE STRUGGLING TO RECOVER ECONOMICALLY WHILE FACING 41% o f p e o p l e f o r c i b ly displaced worldwide record rising increasing were children (2021) inflation interest rates debt burdens competing limited low COVID-19 priorities fiscal space vaccination rates CHILDREN TODAY WILL INCREASINGLY EXPERIENCE EXTREME CLIMATE EVENTS BY 2100, IF GLOBAL TEMPERATURES RISE 3 °C GLOBAL 1.5 °C 5X INCREASE 4X INCREASE PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION INCREASED BY 25% IN 2020 By 2030, P A R T I C U L A R L Y A M O N G UP TO 110 MILLION GIRLS ARE LIKELY TO YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN BECOME CHILD BRIDES, 10 MILLION MORE THAN PRE-PANDEMIC PROJECTION 25 Overview No poverty The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put steady progress in poverty reduction over the past 25 years into reverse, with the number of people in extreme poverty increasing for the first time in a generation. Now, rising inflation and the impacts of the war in Ukraine may derail progress further. The combined crises could lead to an additional 75 million to 95 million people living in extreme poverty in 2022, compared with pre-pandemic projections. While almost all countries have introduced new social protection measures Farmer Rufina Gibson, an 80-year-old widow, depends on in response to the crisis, many were short-term in nature, and large groundnuts for protein and income. Her remote village, in numbers of vulnerable people have not yet benefited from them. As Khulungira, Malawi, has no electricity or running water. things stand, the world is not on track to end poverty by 2030, with poorer countries now needing unprecedented levels of pro-poor growth to achieve this goal. First COVID-19 and now the Ukraine crisis are derailing progress on ending extreme poverty Between 2015 and 2018, global poverty continued its historical decline, world even further from meeting the target of ending extreme poverty with the extreme poverty rate falling from 10.1 per cent to 8.6 per cent. by 2030. This means that the number of people living on less than $1.90 a day Number of people living on less than $1.90 a day, 2015–2018, 2019–2022 dropped from 740 million to 656 million over this period. COVID-19 has projection before and after COVID-19 (millions) made a severe dent in that progress. Nowcasts suggest that the global 800 poverty rate increased sharply from 2019 to 2020, from 8.3 per cent to 739.5 9.2 per cent, the first rise in extreme poverty since 1998 and the largest 710.4 713.8 684.7 684.2 since 1990. This erased more than four years of steady gains. It also 676.5 656.4 means that an additional 93 million people worldwide were pushed into 641.4 656.7 extreme poverty because of the pandemic. 600 621.1 599.7 581.3 Little progress has been made since then in catching up to the pre-COVID trend. Forecasts for 2022 estimate that 75 million more people than expected prior to the pandemic will be living in extreme poverty. Rising food prices and the broader impacts of the war in 400 Ukraine could push that number even higher, to 95 million, leaving the 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Forecast No pandemic projection COVID-19-baseline projection Pessimistic projection In 2020, the share of workers living in extreme poverty rose for the first time in two decades In 2020, for the first time in two decades, the share of the world’s Proportion of the employed population living on less than $1.90 a day, workers living in extreme poverty increased, rising from 6.7 per cent 2019–2021 (percentage) 36.7 in 2019 to 7.2 per cent, pushing an additional 8 million workers into Sub-Saharan Africa 38.0 37.9 poverty. This reflects lost working hours and reduced incomes for 17.6 many during the COVID-19 crisis. Although the working poverty rate Oceania* 19.2 18.8 declined slightly in 2021 to 6.9 per cent, it remains higher than before 7.5 the pandemic. Most regions have not yet recovered to their 2019 Central and Southern Asia 8.16.6 levels. The two regions with the highest working poverty rates – sub- 3.7 Saharan Africa and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) Northern Africa and Western Asia 4.24.4 – have also experienced the largest increases in the past two years. 2.9 Latin America and the Caribbean 3.3 The pandemic has likely exacerbated existing disparities in working 3.0 poverty rates for youth and women, who were already more likely 1.0Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 1.1 than adults and men to be among the working poor. Youth and women 1.0 were disproportionately affected by working-hour losses and pay cuts 6.7World 7.2 6.9 in 2020, meaning these gaps are likely to widen. 0 10 20 30 40 2019 2020 2021 *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 26 Over half of the unemployed in high-income countries receive cash benefits, compared with 1 per cent in low-income countries Strong social protection systems are essential for mitigating the benefits in 2020, with coverage varying widely across regions. immediate and long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic Sixty-three per cent of those considered vulnerable in high-income and preventing people from falling into poverty. However, by 2020, countries received cash benefits compared with just 7.8 per cent in only 46.9 per cent of the global population were effectively covered low-income countries. by at least one social protection cash benefit, leaving 4.1 billion people unprotected. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, almost 1,900 social Proportion of population covered by at least one cash benefit, vulnerable protection measures were announced by 211 countries and territories, persons covered by social assistance and unemployed persons receiving although these were mostly (92 per cent) short term in nature. unemployment cash benefits, by income level of country, 2020 (percentage) Around 39 per cent of the measures introduced were directed 100 towards vulnerable groups, while 26 per cent related to income 85.4 security and unemployment protection, showing the high importance 80 of social assistance and unemployment benefits in responding to the 64.0 crisis. Still, only 96 countries have unemployment protection schemes 60 62.8 in place and, even where such schemes exist, effective coverage 52.2 46.9 is often limited, especially in countries with high levels of informal 40 34.4 employment. Globally, in 2020, only 43.1 per cent of the labour force 24.9 28.9 were legally covered by unemployment benefit schemes, and only 20 17.5 15.2 13.4 18.6 18.6 per cent of unemployed workers worldwide actually received 5.5 7.8 0.8 unemployment benefits. 0 High-income Upper-middle- Lower-middle- Low-income World Similarly, only 28.9 per cent of people considered vulnerable – all countries income income countriescountries countries children, along with older people and those of working age not covered by social insurance – had access to social assistance cash Population Vulnerable persons Unemployed persons Disaster-related deaths rose sixfold in 2020, largely as a result of the pandemic Biological hazards such as COVID-19, along with other disasters such strategies. By the end of 2021, 123 countries reported having such as tropical cyclones and floods, can worsen poverty and slow hunger strategies in place, up from just 55 in 2015. alleviation. In 2020, based on reporting from 80 countries under the Sendai Framework, the disaster-related mortality rate was 5.74 Disaster-related mortality (rate per 100,000 population), 2015–2020 persons per 100,000 population. This estimation takes into account 6.00 deaths resulting from disasters of all origins, including COVID-19. At 5.74 least 80 per cent of disaster-related mortality that year was estimated 5.00 to be due to the coronavirus. Even without considering significant underreporting (the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 4.00 global excess deaths of 4.5 million in 2020), this figure is already in stark contrast to the 2015-2019 period, when the disaster-related 3.00 mortality rate averaged 0.93 persons per 100,000 population. As countries were coping with the economic fallout of the pandemic, 2.00 2.02 33 countries reported $16.5 billion in direct economic losses in 2020, 1.00 due to other disasters. Of this amount, 41 per cent ($6.8 billion) was 0.75 0.66 0.65 in the agriculture sector and 38 per cent ($6.2 billion) related to 0.42 0.00 losses resulting from damaged or destroyed critical infrastructure. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Meanwhile, significant progress has been made towards increasing the number of countries adopting national disaster risk reduction 27 Goal 1 | No poverty Zero hunger The world is on the verge of a global food crisis, with a rising number of people experiencing hunger and food insecurity even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Global food supply systems have been partially undermined by a cascading combination of growing conflicts, climate-related shocks and widening inequalities. As a result, as many as 828 million people may have suffered from hunger in 2021. The outbreak of war in Ukraine poses an additional threat to food insecurity, with the potential to provoke a surge in levels of hunger After leaving an information technology job in Nairobi, Alex and malnutrition, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable. returned to his rural roots to run a farm. He now trains other With this global crisis looming, it is more urgent than ever to address youths on good agricultural practices. its root causes. The international community must act now to avert a crippling food emergency and the social, economic and political upheaval that could follow. Conflict, COVID-19, climate change and growing inequalities are converging to undermine food security worldwide Climate variability and extremes, conflict, economic shocks and of key food commodities, fertilizer, minerals and energy. Together they growing inequalities are keeping the world off track in achieving zero are considered the world’s breadbasket, supplying 30 per cent and 20 hunger by 2030. Since 2014, the number of people going hungry and per cent of global wheat and maize exports, respectively, as well as suffering from food insecurity has been on the rise. The COVID-19 80 per cent of global exports of sunflower seed products. At least 50 pandemic exacerbated an already deteriorating situation, with about countries import 30 per cent or more of their wheat from these two 150 million more people facing hunger in 2021 than in 2019. In other countries, with many African and LDCs importing more than 50 per words, an estimated 1 in 10 people worldwide are suffering from cent. Ukraine and the Russian Federation are also leading exporters of hunger. In addition, nearly 1 in 3 (a staggering 2.3 billion people) were fertilizers. moderately or severely food insecure in 2021, meaning they lacked The conflict has caused a steep and sudden reduction in exports of regular access to adequate food. This represents an increase of grain, sunflower seeds and fertilizers. As a result, import-dependent almost 350 million people since the beginning of the pandemic. The countries are vulnerable to rising food costs and supply chain most worrisome increases were seen in sub-Saharan Africa, followed disruptions. Joint, coordinated activities and policy solutions are by Central and Southern Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. urgently needed to avert food shortages for the world’s poorest The unfolding crisis in Ukraine is yet another threat to food security. people and to reduce the impact of the conflict, as well as lingering Ukraine and the Russian Federation are large producers and exporters consequences of the pandemic, on global food insecurity. The low labour productivity of small-scale food producers remains troubling Small-scale farmers are the backbone of agriculture. Yet despite their the average annual income from agriculture of small-scale farmers importance in combating hunger, small-scale food producers are is under $2,000 (constant 2011 PPP). This is less than half that often among the most vulnerable groups in rural areas and within the of large-scale producers, in three quarters of countries for which agro-food system. data are available. Small-scale farmers who are women are further In low- and middle-income countries, the labour productivity of small disadvantaged. Although the productivity of food production units farmers is less than $15 a day (constant 2011 purchasing power parity headed by men and women is similar, the average annual income of (PPP)), according to the latest available figures for 42 countries. The units headed by women is between 50 per cent and 70 per cent that income of these small-scale producers continues to lag behind those of men, in half the countries with available data. of their larger-scale counterparts, with more pronounced differences in higher-income countries. In most countries with available data, The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 28 Already slow progress on child malnutrition has likely been set back further by the pandemic and growing food insecurity Good nutrition sets children on a path to survive and thrive. The full where unhealthy food replaced fresh, nutritious food, and movement impact of the pandemic on child nutrition may take years to manifest. restrictions curtailed opportunities for physical activity for long However, a likely scenario is that COVID-19, together with soaring periods of time. food prices, are exacerbating all forms of malnutrition due to a loss Such shocks, which have been occurring since 2020, will reverse of household income, the lack of available and affordable nutritious progress made to date without additional interventions. An food, reduced physical activity and disruptions in essential nutrition intensification of efforts is urgently required to reduce malnutrition services. and address the growing threats to nutrition security. In 2020, the latest year for which data are available, 22.0 per cent of children under age 5 worldwide (149.2 million) suffered from Proportion of children under age 5 who are affected by stunting and wasting, 20201 stunting (low height for age).1 This is a decline from 24.4 per cent in (percentage) 2015. Subsequent years have seen continued constraints in accessing Oceania* 41.4 9.0 nutritious food and essential nutrition services due to the pandemic. Sub-Saharan Africa 32.3 5.9 To achieve the target of a 50 per cent reduction in the number of Central and Southern Asia 29.8 13.6 17.8 5.1 stunted children by 2030, the annual rate of decline must double (to Northern Africa and Western Asia Eastern and South-Eastern Asia** 13.4 4.1 3.9 per cent per year) from its current annual reduction rate of 2.1 per Latin America and the Caribbean 11.3 1.3 cent per year. Europe and Northern America*** 4.0 0.2 Childhood wasting and overweight are both forms of malnutrition Australia and New Zealand**** 2.3 and can coexist in a population. In 2020, wasting (low weight for World 22.0 6.7 height) and overweight were found in 6.7 per cent of children under 50 40 30 20 10 0 10 20 5 (45.4 million) and 5.7 per cent of children under 5 (38.9 million), Stunting Wasting respectively. Wasting is a condition that can be brought on rapidly 95 per cent confidence intervals as a result of conflict, pandemics and climate events. Related shocks * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. ** Excluding Japan for the wasting estimate. in food, fuel and fertilizer prices stemming from the war in Ukraine *** The wasting estimate represents Northern America since population coverage for Europe could tip the balance even further, destroying access to healthy diets. was insufficient (<50 per cent) . **** Wasting estimates are not available due to insufficient (< 50 per cent) population coverage. 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In March 2022, global food prices were almost 30 Southern and the Northern and Africa South- Asia Caribbean America Western Eastern per cent higher than at the same time last year, reaching an all-time Asia Asia high, though prices eased somewhat in the subsequent two months. Moderately high food prices Abnormally high food prices Soaring food prices threaten to exacerbate global food insecurity. 1 Estimates for 2020 do not account for the full impact of COVID-19 since the collection of household survey data on child height and weight were limited in 2020 due to pandemic-related physical distancing measures. 29 Goal 2 | Zero hunger Good health and well-being COVID-19 continues to pose challenges to people’s health and well- being globally and is impeding progress in meeting Goal 3 targets. Before the pandemic, gains were evident in many areas of health, including reproductive, maternal and child health, immunization coverage and treatment of communicable diseases, though progress was marred by huge regional disparities. As of mid-2022, COVID-19 had infected more than 500 million people worldwide. The latest estimates show that global “excess deaths” directly and indirectly During the pandemic, health workers – already in short supply attributable to COVID-19 could have been as high as 15 million by the – became even scarcer. In countries worldwide, nurse-midwives end of 2021. The pandemic has severely disrupted essential health have been working in hospitals around the clock, often with services, triggered an increase in the prevalence of anxiety and limited personal protective equipment. depression, lowered global life expectancy, derailed progress towards ending HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria, and halted two decades of work towards making health coverage universal. As a result, deaths from TB and malaria increased. Urgent and concerted action is immunization coverage dropped for the first time in 10 years, and needed to set the world back on a trajectory towards achieving Goal 3. COVID-19 directly and indirectly led to the deaths of nearly 15 million people in the first two years of the pandemic COVID-19 is now a leading cause of death. The latest estimates to a sudden halt. In many parts of the world, life expectancy has fallen suggest that 14.9 million people died as a direct result of COVID-19 by one to two years. or from the pandemic’s impact on health systems and society in To effectively curb the spread of COVID-19 and prevent tens of 2020 and 2021. This estimate is nearly triple the 5.4 million officially thousands of additional deaths, it is critical to ensure equitable access reported COVID-19 deaths in the same period. About 84 per cent of to safe and effective vaccines. WHO has called for 70 per cent of these “excess deaths” are concentrated in South-East Asia, Europe people in all countries to receive vaccinations by mid-2022. That said, and the Americas (as defined by WHO), and 68 per cent are in just 10 global vaccine distribution is far from equitable. As of May 2022, only countries. around 17 per cent of people in low-income countries had received The pandemic has severely disrupted health systems and essential at least one dose of a vaccine, compared with more than 80 per cent health services. Interruptions in essential health services were in high-income countries. For everyone’s health, it is imperative that reported in 92 per cent of 129 countries surveyed at the end of all countries and relevant manufacturers suspend patents, prioritize 2021. These disruptions were found across all major areas of health, vaccine supply to COVAX, and create the conditions necessary for the including maternal and child health, immunization, mental health local production of tests, vaccines and treatments. programmes, and treatment of diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, TB and malaria. As a result, impressive strides in global life expectancy came Two different guide layers for two- and three-line titles. Reported COVID-19 deaths and estimated excess deaths globally, 2020–2021 Total vaccine doses administered per 100 people, by income level of country, Guides for edge of right-aligned text and bars are uniform (and account for (millions) 9 May 2022 (number) space for other languages). Swatches are of full, 75%, 50% and 25% color. 2 200 All bars should be 0p6 wide Worldwide totals, January 2020– 198.1191.6 with 0 spacing within country categories December 2021 (millions)1.5 and 0p2 spacing between country categories. 14.91 150 If World, LDC, LDS or SIDS categories are spaced apart, 1 0p6 spacing from main regions. 115.3 Number labels should be inside color bars (ideally) and 0p3 from edge. 100 If outside, left-aligned and 0p3 away. 0.5 5.42 Number line 0p2 below bottom bar. Stroke .25pt. 50 Tick marks 0p3 long. Text 0p1 below tick mark. 0 Legend categories right-aligned, 1p0 apart, 0p3 between color bubble and 21.1 text. -0.5 0 Legend color bubble 0p6. Jan 2020 Jan 2021 Dec 2021 Reported Estimated Lower-income Lower-middle- Upper-middle- High-income COVID-19 excess countries income countries income countries countries Legend 0p6 below number line labels. Any note 0p6 below legend. Reported COVID-19 deaths deaths mortality Note uses hanging indent. Estimated excess deaths associated with COVID-19 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 30 The pandemic has triggered a significant rise in anxiety and depression, particularly among young people Available data do not indicate an increase in suicide rates during the in 2019, more than 13 per cent of adolescents aged 10 to 19 had a first months of the COVID-19 crisis. However, the pandemic has had diagnosed mental disorder as defined by the WHO; this translates into a severe impact on the mental health and well-being of people around 86 million adolescents aged 15 to 19 and 80 million adolescents aged the world. In 2020, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression 10 to 14. The pandemic has added to the mental health issues facing increased by an estimated 25 per cent, with young people and women children and young people, since many of them are still experiencing most affected. At the same time, countries reported that services for school closures, disruption of daily routines, stress over food mental, neurological and substance use conditions were the most insecurity and loss of family income, and uncertainty about the future. disrupted among all essential health services, which widened gaps For the most vulnerable children, the impact of COVID-19 may also in mental health care. By the end of 2021, the situation had improved increase their exposure to multiple forms of violence and exploitation. somewhat, but many people remain unable to get the care and support It is imperative that COVID-19 response plans include mental health they need for both pre-existing and new mental health conditions. and psychosocial support. Increased attention and investment are Even before the pandemic, depression, anxiety and other mental particularly needed to improve mental health care for children and health challenges affected far too many children. It is estimated that, young people and to protect the most vulnerable children. Progress has been made in maternal and child health, but glaring regional disparities must be addressed Competent skilled birth attendance is key to reducing maternal Childbearing among girls aged 10 to 14 is much more common in and newborn morbidity and mortality. Globally, in 2015–2021, an countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean estimated 84 per cent of births were assisted by skilled health than in other parts of the world. Most countries with measurable professionals, including medical doctors, nurses and midwives. This levels of early childbearing have recorded a reduction since 2000. was an increase from 77 per cent in 2008–2014. Still, coverage in Although data to assess the total impact of COVID-19 on maternal sub-Saharan Africa was 20 percentage points lower than the global and child health and adolescent fertility are not yet available, concern average. is mounting that the pandemic has inadvertently undermined Progress was also made in under-5 and neonatal mortality, though achievement in those areas. too many children are still dying. The global mortality rate of children Under-5 and neonatal mortality rate by region, 2015– 2020 (deaths per 1,000 under age 5 fell by 14 per cent from 2015 to 2020 – from 43 to 37 live births) deaths per 1,000 live births. Similarly, the mortality rate of children in 100 their first 28 days of life, the neonatal period, fell by 12 per cent over that same period – from 19 to 17 deaths per 1,000 live births. Even 80 with this progress, 5 million children died before reaching their fifth 60 birthday in 2020 alone – down from 5.9 million in 2015. Almost half of 40 36.6 those deaths, 2.4 million, occurred in the first month of life. Sub- Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest under-5 mortality 20 17.0 rate in the world at 74 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020. This is 0 14 times higher than the risk for children in Europe and Northern America. Sub- Oceania* Central Northern Latin Eastern Europe Australia World The adolescent birth rate also fell worldwide. From 2010 to 2020, the Saharan and Africa America and and and Africa Southern and and the South- Northern New rate dropped from 47.9 births to 41.2 births per 1,000 adolescents Asia Western Caribbean Eastern America ZealandAsia Asia aged 15 to 19. The largest declines occurred in Central and Southern Under-5 mortality rate Neonatal mortality rate Asia, from 43.6 births to 23.7 births over the same period. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. The health and economic impacts of COVID-19 have likely worsened uneven progress towards universal health coverage Universal health coverage (UHC) is achieved when all people can Data are not yet available to provide a detailed and comprehensive receive the good-quality health services they need without facing look at the impact of COVID-19 on progress towards UHC. However, financial hardship from having to pay for them. Even before COVID-19, since the pandemic has led to significant disruptions in essential alarming trends in universal coverage were evident. The UHC service health services, the continuous progress made over the last two coverage index improved from a global average of 45 out of 100 in decades has likely come to a halt. With the combined health and 2000 to 64 in 2015 and 67 in 2019. However, almost 1 billion people economic impacts of COVID-19, people may be facing greater spent more than 10 per cent of their household budget on out-of- financial constraints in accessing care. Among those paying out pocket health expenses in 2017, and more than half a billion were of pocket for health services, financial hardship is likely to worsen pushed into extreme poverty due to these out-of-pocket payments. further, particularly for those already disadvantaged. 31 Goal 3 | Good health and well-being 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 2015 2020 Widespread disruptions have derailed progress against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria In 2020, an estimated 1.5 million people were newly diagnosed with Two scenarios of global progress in the malaria incidence rate: current trajectory HIV and 680,000 people died of AIDS-related causes. The incidence maintained and Global Technical Strategy targets achieved, 2010–2030 (new cases per 1,000 people at risk) of HIV infections globally declined by 39 per cent between 2010 and 2020, far less than the 75 per cent target agreed to by the General 80 Assembly in 2016. Measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, along 60 58.9 56.3 59.0 54.1 with the added pressures on health systems, have disrupted HIV 49.6 40.7 services. 40 35.3 In 2020, an estimated 10 million people worldwide fell ill with TB. That 20 14.7 year, the notification rate of new and relapse cases in TB incidence fell 5.9 to 59 per cent, down from 72 per cent in 2019. Disruptions associated 0 with the pandemic globally caused a noticeable rise in the number of 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 TB deaths, from 1.2 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2020 (excluding Current estimates of global case incidence Forecasted trend if current trajectory TB deaths in people with HIV). This is the first year-on-year increase is maintained in TB deaths since 2005, and it took the world back to the 2017 level. Global Technical Strategy milestones (2015 baseline) Progress in reducing TB incidence also slowed in 2020 to less than 2 per cent per year. This is much lower than the 4 to 5 per cent annual Progress towards preventing, controlling and eradicating neglected decline required to achieve the End TB Strategy (i.e., an 80 per cent tropical diseases (NTDs) continued in 2020, despite significant drop in new cases by 2030). Between 2018 and 2020, TB treatment disruptions to health services. The number of people globally reached 20 million people, only half of the global target. Due to requiring NTD treatment and care declined from 2.19 billion in 2010 to the pandemic, TB incidence and mortality are expected to worsen, 1.73 billion in 2020. Notably, in LDCs, 48 per cent of the total especially in 2021 and 2022. population required treatment and care for NTDs in 2020, down from 79 per cent in 2010. This progress was largely due to the elimination Incidence rate and notification rate of tuberculosis, 2000–2020 of a number of NTDs. By the end of 2020, at least one NTD had been (new and relapse cases per 100,000 people) eliminated in 42 countries. Important declines were observed in the 250 number of reported cases of diseases targeted for elimination and eradication, including African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) in 200 humans and dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease). Proportion of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases 150 out of the total population, 2010, 2015 and 2020 (percentage) 100 Oceania* Sub-Saharan Africa Central and Southern Asia 50 Latin America and the Caribbean Eastern and South-Eastern Asia Northern Africa and Western Asia 0 Australia and New Zealand 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Europe and Northern America 95 per cent confidence interval TB incidence rate Notification rate of new and relapse cases Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries An estimated 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 deaths from Small island developing States malaria were reported worldwide in 2020. This means that 14 million Non-LDCs more people contracted malaria and 69,000 more people died from it World than in 2019. About two thirds of the additional deaths were linked to disruptions in the provision of malaria services during the pandemic. 0 20 40 60 80 100 Even before COVID-19, global gains against the disease were levelling 2010 2015 2020 off, and the world was not on track to reach the targets set in WHO’s * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030. By 2020, the global malaria incidence rate was 59 cases per 1,000 people at risk against a target of 35. In other words, progress against malaria was off track by 40 per cent. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 32 More children are missing out on essential vaccines due to the pandemic COVID-19 and associated disruptions have caused more children Estimated number of children who did not receive a first dose of to miss out on essential vaccines. From 2019 to 2020, coverage of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) containing vaccine, 2000-2020 (millions) infant immunization slipped from 86 to 83 per cent. This means that 24 22.7 million children missed out on vaccinations in 2020, 3.7 million more than in 2019 and the highest number since 2005. In addition, 20 17.1 million older children did not receive vaccines through the routine 16 immunization programme in 2020, an increase from 13.6 million in 2019. 12 The consequences could be devastasting. Measles, for example, is a highly contagious disease, and the current coverage levels of 70 per 8 cent with two doses are insufficient to prevent illness, disability and death from measles outbreaks or complications associated with the 4 disease. What’s more, COVID-19 responses and vaccinations have diverted health system resources away from other essential services. 0 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 It is therefore likely that, in 2021 and beyond, too many children will continue to miss out on immunization as well as other health-care Africa South-East Asia Western Pacific services. Recovering these to pre-pandemic levels must be an urgent Eastern Mediterranean Americas Europe global priority. Note: The regional classification is based on WHO regions. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on health and care workers, who are already stretched thin in most regions Health and care workers remain on the front lines of the COVID-19 over 152 per 10,000 people. This is almost 4 times the global average, response. Between January 2020 and May 2021, the pandemic may 8 times that of Northern Africa and Southern Asia, and over 15 times have claimed the lives of 115,500 health and care workers worldwide. that of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite a steady increase in the density Greater efforts are needed for equitable distribution of COVID-19 of medical doctors per 10,000 people globally, the disparities among vaccines to ensure that they have access to vaccination and personal regions remain high – from an estimated 40 medical doctors per protective equipment. 10,000 people in Europe to only 2 in sub-Saharan Africa. Data for 2014–2020 show that the density of nursing and midwifery personnel in Northern America remains the highest in the world, at Density of selected health professionals per 10,000 people, 2014–2020 (latest available data) Medical doctors Nursing and midwifery personnel Sub-Saharan Africa 2.3 Sub-Saharan Africa 12.6 South-Eastern Asia 8.1 Southern Asia 15.2 Southern Asia 8.1 Northern Africa 18.0 Northern Africa 9.0 South-Eastern Asia 34.1 Western Asia 19.6 Western Asia 35.9 Eastern Asia 22.8 Eastern Asia 39.5 Latin America and the Caribbean 23.7 Latin America and the Caribbean 41.6 Northern America 25.9 Central Asia 83.8 Central Asia 27.3 Europe 89.4 Oceania 30.2 Oceania 96.8 Europe 39.4 Northern America 152.1 World 16.4 World 39.5 0 10 20 30 40 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 33 Goal 3 | Good health and well-being Quality education The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened a crisis in education, with severe disruptions in education systems worldwide. School closures have had worrisome consequences for children’s learning and well-being, particularly for girls and those who are disadvantaged, including children with disabilities, rural dwellers and ethnic minorities. An estimated 147 million children missed more than half of their in-person instruction over the past two years. As a result, this generation of children could lose a combined total of $17 trillion in Mija Anjarasoa, 17, participates in a catch-up class at the lifetime earnings (in current value). Governments need to implement Soanierana General Education College in Manantantely, ambitious programmes to ensure that all children return to school, Madagascar. She aspires to become a midwife after she finishes recover their learning losses, and have their psychosocial needs met. her schooling. Prolonged school closures have heightened the risk that children will not return to school COVID-related school closures threaten to reverse years of progress Duration of school closures (loss of in-person classes), March 2020–February aimed at keeping children in school. Before the pandemic, 17 per cent 2022 (weeks) of children and youth globally were out of primary and secondary school, compared to 26 per cent in 2000. From March 2020 through Latin America and the Caribbean 30 31 February 2022, schools worldwide were fully or partially closed for 41 Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 26 29 weeks, on average. Latin America and the Caribbean experienced the Central and Southern Asia 24 29 longest school closures – more than 60 weeks in the past two years. Northern Africa and Western Asia 25 22 The longer children are out of school, the less likely they are to return. Sub-Saharan Africa 19 13 According to a 2020 report by the United Nations Educational, Europe and Northern America 13 18 Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 24 million learners Oceania 7 7 from the pre-primary to university level are at risk of not returning to school. Students from more disadvantaged backgrounds are World 20 21 at higher risk due to socioeconomic factors such as the need to 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 generate income, increased care responsibilities, and early and forced Fully closed Partially closed marriage. Those who were unable to access distance learning during confinement are also at higher risk of not returning to school. COVID-19 has cast a shadow on an already dire picture of learning outcomes The COVID-19 pandemic came at a time when the world was already Proportion of children meeting minimum requirements in reading proficiency at struggling with a crisis in learning: too many children lacked the the end of lower-secondary school (2015–2019) and length of school closures during the first two years of the pandemic, by country income groups fundamentals of reading and numeracy. Based on pre-pandemic data from 2015 to 2019, the proportion of children meeting the minimum 100 required proficiency in reading at the end of lower-secondary school 90 was between 70 and 90 per cent in most high-income countries. That 80 proportion fell below 60 per cent in almost all middle- and low- 70 income countries, dropping to less than 10 per cent in some countries. 60 Learning losses due to COVID-related school closures have been documented in 4 out of 5 of the 104 countries that have carried out 50 such studies. School closures are also likely to deepen disparities in 40 learning: many countries that had poor learning outcomes prior to the 30 pandemic also tended to have longer school closures. 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Length of school closure as at 31 March 2022 (weeks) High income Upper-middle income Low and lower-middle income The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 34 Proficient in reading at the lower–secondary school level (percentage) Entrenched inequities in education have only worsened during the pandemic Over the years, education has become much more widely accessible. Parity index, by sex, location and wealth, 2015–2020 That said, inequalities in access persist among various socioeconomic More 1.6 advantage groups. In 2020, for example, 3 out of 4 children attended some form for girls, rural areas of organized learning one year before the official primary school age. 1.4 and poorest households Yet, participation was highly unequal: among countries with available 1.2 data, disparities in attendance were found based on gender (39 per 1 Parity index between 0.97 cent), urban or rural location (76 per cent) and household wealth (86 and 1.030.8 per cent). The data showed that girls tend to score higher than boys 0.6 in reading proficiency at the end of primary school. They also showed that children living in rural areas and in the poorest households are 0.4 More advantage for boys, consistently more disadvantaged in term of educational participation 0.2 urban areas and richest and outcomes than their urban, wealthier peers. 0 households Female/ Rural/ Poorest/ Female/ Rural/ Poorest/ Female/ Rural/ Poorest/ School closures during the COVID-19 pandemic have deepened male urban richest male urban richest male urban richest inequality in education, with marginalized populations most affected. Participating rate, one year Minimum reading proficiency Lower-secondary before primary-school age rate, end of primary school completion rate In the context of remote learning, for example, children from poorer backgrounds are less likely to have the devices and computer skills they need to get online, or a home environment conducive to learning. Ensuring a safe return to school and equity in education in the difficult transition period ahead needs to be a priority. Countries are improving schools as they reopen, but psychosocial support for students is often overlooked One key to encouraging school enrolment and retention is ensuring Additional measures being taken for students’ well-being after school reopening, adequate facilities and services. Yet, even basic school infrastructure 2022 (percentage) is far from universal. In 2019–2020, about one quarter of primary Total 45 46 9 schools worldwide lacked access to electricity, drinking water and High income 54 23 23 basic sanitation facilities. Only half of primary schools had computers Upper-middle income 38 50 12 and Internet access or facilities that were fully accessible, including for children with disabilities. In all of these areas, LDCs lag furthest behind. Lower-middle income 47 51 2 Low income 50 42 8 Recovering from the pandemic – and building back better – will require a significant investment in school infrastructure and services. According Total 20 57 23 to a recent survey by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), High income 23 54 23 about half of countries with data reported taking “significant additional Upper-middle income 23 60 17 measures” (as opposed to a “small-scale increase in measures”) in water, sanitation and hygiene services in schools after their reopening. Lower-middle income 20 58 22 This proportion remains similar across countries in various income Low income 17 54 29 groups. However, only 20 per cent of countries undertook significant 0 20 40 60 80 100 measures to provide additional mental health and psychosocial support Significant additional measures Small-scale increase in measures No change for students. This is disturbing considering the recent uptick in anxiety and depression among learners. Online schooling offers Ukrainian children a sense of normalcy in the chaos of war The war in Ukraine is having a particularly damaging effect on its ordnance, for example, and connects them and their parents to youngest citizens. As of May 2022, two thirds of the country’s essential health and psychosocial services. children had been displaced from their homes, some 130 educational Millions of children and youth worldwide are in similar situations institutions had been destroyed and more than 1,500 schools as those in Ukraine whose learning has been interrupted – by damaged. In spite of these challenges, education in Ukraine goes war, disasters and other crises. Providing safe, inclusive and on: remote learning, often interrupted by air-raid sirens, has been continuous education to those girls and boys is crucial in helping offered to millions. In April 2022, nearly 3 million children (the them cope with current and future crises. It is one of the soundest majority of school-aged students) showed up for online classes. and most important investments that can be made in human and Video lessons have also been broadcast on television. Remote socioeconomic development. schooling provides a safe “space” and a semblance of normalcy for children affected by war. It also serves as a lifeline, providing children with access to information on the risks of deadly explosive 35 Goal 4 | Quality education Mental health Water, and psychosocial sanitation support and hygiene Gender equality The world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030, and the social and economic fallout from the pandemic has made the situation even bleaker. Progress in many areas, including time spent on unpaid care and domestic work, decision-making regarding sexual and reproductive health, and gender-responsive budgeting, is falling behind. Women’s health services, already poorly funded, have faced major disruptions. Violence against women remains endemic. And despite women’s leadership in responding to COVID-19, they still Arulrahini has been engaged in farming for over four decades. trail men in securing the decision-making positions they deserve. In this northern province of Sri Lanka, independent women farm Commitment and bold action are needed to accelerate progress, owners like Arulrahini are the exception. including through the promotion of laws, policies, budgets and institutions that advance gender equality. Greater investment in gender statistics is vital, since less than half of the data required to monitor Goal 5 are currently available. Awareness of violence against older women is growing, but data remain limited Violence against women and girls is found in all countries and affects of such violence, aside from intimate partners, can include adult women of all ages. Globally, 26 per cent of ever-partnered women children and other relatives, strangers, caregivers and neighbours. aged 15 and older (641 million) have been subjected to physical and/ Global prevalence of physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence against or sexual violence by a husband or intimate partner at least once in ever-partnered women, by age group, 2018 (percentage) their lifetime. Limited evidence points to an intensification of violence 35 against women during the pandemic. A 2021 rapid gender assessment 32 33 33 32 survey in 13 countries, undertaken by the United Nations Entity for 30 30 31 30 30 31 30 28 28 Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), 28 27 2726 25 26 found that 45 per cent of women reported that they or a woman they 24 2523 23 24 24 23 24 23 22 23 know has experienced some form of violence since COVID-19. 2120 2119 19 2018 19 18 Global awareness of violence against older women specifically is 16 1716 15 14 15 15growing, but data on the subject are limited, and the nature, scale, 13 1312 12 13 11 severity and complexity of such violence may be underestimated. Less 10 10 1110 9 8 8 8 than 10 per cent of eligible data on intimate partner violence capture 6 7 7 7 5 5 65 5 the prevalence of such violence among women aged 50 and older. 4 43 Limited evidence from 2000-2018 found that between 4 per cent 0 15–19 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65+ and 7 per cent of women in this age group experienced physical and/ Lifetime Past 12 months Uncertainty intervals (shaded area) or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the last 12 months. Older women, however, may be vulnerable to specific forms of violence not usually measured in surveys on violence against women, such as economic exploitation, or being ostracized or neglected. Perpetrators Child marriage and female genital mutilation are persistent human rights violations holding back progress for girls and women In 2021, nearly one in five young women were married before the age Another persistent harmful practice and human rights violation is of 18. The highest rates of child marriage are found in sub-Saharan female genital mutilation (FGM). At least 200 million girls and women Africa and Southern Asia, where 35 per cent and 28 per cent of alive today have been subjected to FGM, mainly in the 31 countries young women, respectively, were married in childhood. Globally, the where the practice is concentrated. In many countries, it remains as prevalence of child marriage has declined by about 10 per cent in the common today as it was three decades ago. Even in countries where past five years. However, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have the practice has become less prevalent, progress would need to be put more girls at risk, owing to economic shocks, school closures and at least 10 times faster to meet the global target of eliminating FGM interruptions in social services. By 2030, up to 10 million more girls by 2030. Education is one key to its elimination. Opposition to FGM are likely to become child brides, in addition to the 100 million girls is highest among girls and women who are educated. Girls whose who were projected to be at risk before the pandemic. mothers have a primary education are 40 per cent less likely to be cut than those whose mothers have no education. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 36 Progress in women’s access to leadership positions, in both political and economic spheres, remains sluggish During the pandemic, women leaders have acted decisively and Women in managerial positions, 2015 and 2020 (percentage) effectively to implement and manage response and recovery efforts, 11.0 prioritizing measures that address the most vulnerable groups. Northern Africa and Western Asia 12.2 Despite this widely acknowledged success, the pace of progress on 12.7Central and Southern Asia 12.7 women’s representation in decision-making positions is discouraging. 29.3 As of 1 January 2022, the global share of women in lower and single Sub-Saharan Africa 29.8 houses of national parliaments reached 26.2 per cent, up from 22.4 31.0 Eastern and South-Eastern Asia per cent in 2015. Women’s share is slightly over one third in local 33.0 38.9 governments. At this pace, it would take another 40 years for women Latin America and the Caribbean 37.7 and men to be represented equally in national parliaments. 37.3 Oceania 37.8 Working women, including those in managerial positions, have 36.8 been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Europe and Northern America 38.9 have had their hours reduced or left the workforce altogether due to increased unpaid care work at home. In 2019, before the pandemic, 27.2World 28.3 women accounted for 39.4 per cent of total employment. In 2020, women represented nearly 45 per cent of global employment losses. 0 10 20 30 40 The share of women in managerial positions worldwide saw only 2015 2020 slight improvement from 2015 to 2019, increasing from 27.2 to 28.3 per cent. That share remained unchanged from 2019 to 2020, which is the first year without an increase since 2013. In many countries, women still lack the legal right to autonomy over their own bodies Only 57 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 who are married or in a reproductive health care may have made these essential services union make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, inaccessible to women. contraceptive use and reproductive health care, according to data Proportion of women aged 15–49 years who make their own informed decisions from 64 countries for the period 2007–2021. Critical to this decision- regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care, making ability is the extent to which laws prevent or enable access most recent data, 2007–2021 (percentage) to relevant health care and information. Among 115 countries with 100 data, countries had in place an average of 76 per cent of the laws and 98 93 9593 91 92 92 94 95 92 regulations needed to guarantee full and equal access to sexual and 9080 86 87 86 8784 79 82 reproductive health and rights. 76 74 74 76 76 7771 69 70 60 66 The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are likely having a significant 55 57 57 impact on women’s ability to exercise their bodily autonomy. In 40 47 the first year of the pandemic, an estimated 1.4 million additional unintended pregnancies occurred in lower- and middle-income 20 countries. This could be due to several factors. Women may have 0 experienced financial hardships that prevented them from making Sub- Central Oceania Northern Latin Eastern Europe World Saharan and Africa America and and their own decisions to seek health care and contraception. During Africa Southern and and the South- Northern Asia Western Caribbean Eastern America lockdown periods, women may have found it harder to say no to Asia Asia sex due to increased tensions in the home related to health, finance Decision on women’s Decision on use Say no to sex Decisions on all three and social isolation. Finally, disruption or suspension of sexual and own health care of contraception Protection of women’s land and property rights still Accelerated progress is needed to align public has a long way to go financing with gender equality objectives Owning rights to land, specifically agricultural land, reduces women’s Building back better from COVID-19 means doing so in a way that reliance on male partners and relatives. Yet, in 30 countries, less advances gender equality and women’s empowerment. Fundamental than half of women had ownership and/or secure tenure rights over to this goal is ensuring that the allocation and spending of public agricultural land, according to 2009–2020 data from 36 countries. financing takes gender equality into account. According to data In 18 of these countries, the share of men having ownership was twice reported by 105 countries and areas for the period 2018–2021, only that of women. Gender-responsive policy and legal frameworks are 26 per cent of countries have comprehensive systems in place to essential to advancing women’s rights to land. However, only 15 out track public allocations for gender equality, 59 per cent have some of 52 reporting countries included sufficient provisions in their legal features of such a system, and 15 per cent do not have the minimum frameworks to offer women good protection in this regard. The most elements of such a system. Accelerated action is needed to expand prominent areas in which positive results have been achieved are comprehensive implementation of gender-responsive budgeting and in succession rights and in protection from being disposed in land strengthen its monitoring and evaluation. transactions. 37 Goal 5 | Gender equality Clean water and sanitation As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, it becomes increasingly clear that safely managed drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services are vital to human health. But unless progress picks up speed – dramatically – billions of people will still lack these essential services in 2030. Water is fundamental to many other aspects of sustainable development and is under threat. Demand for water is rising due to rapid population growth, urbanization and increasing pressure from agriculture, industry and the energy sector. Decades of misuse, poor Ethiopia is experiencing one of the most severe La Niña-induced management and the over-extraction and contamination of freshwater droughts in the past decades, following three consecutive failed and groundwater supplies have exacerbated water stress and rainy seasons since late 2020. Millions of people are in need of deteriorated water-related ecosystems. This, in turn, affects human urgent humanitarian assistance. health, economic activities, and food and energy supplies. Urgent action is needed to shift the current trend. To ensure a sustainable and needs to double. Additional efforts are needed to increase investment equitable distribution of water to meet all needs, the average global in water and sanitation and to further cooperation among countries implementation rate of improved water resources management sharing transboundary waters. Meeting drinking water, sanitation and hygiene targets by 2030 will require a fourfold increase in the pace of progress The proportion of the global population using safely managed drinking a third, from 739 million people to 494 million. The world is on track water services increased from 70 per cent in 2015 to 74 per cent to eliminate open defecation by 2030. in 2020. Still, 2 billion people were without such services that year, Frequent and proper hand hygiene is essential to containing COVID-19 including 1.2 billion people lacking even a basic level of service. Eight and controlling other infectious diseases. Yet, over 1 in 4 people still out of 10 people who lack even basic drinking water service live in lack access to handwashing facilities with soap and water at home. rural areas, and about half of them live in LDCs. At the current rate of Coverage increased from 67 per cent to 71 per cent from 2015 to progress, the world will reach 81 per cent coverage by 2030, missing 2020. the target and leaving 1.6 billion people without safely managed Universal access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is critical drinking water supplies. to global health. To reach universal coverage by 2030, current rates From 2015 to 2020, the world population using safely managed of progress would need to increase fourfold. Achieving these targets sanitation services increased from 47 per cent to 54 per cent. If would save 829,000 lives annually. This is the number of people who historical rates of progress continue, the world will reach 67 per cent currently die each year from diseases directly attributable to unsafe coverage by 2030, leaving 2.8 billion people without access. Over the water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices. same period, the population practising open defecation decreased by Two different guide layers for two- and three-line titles. Guides for edge of right-aligned text and bars are uniform (and account for space for other languages). Global coverage of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services, 2015–2020 (percentage), and acceleration required to achieve universal coverage by 2030 Swatches are of full, 75%, 50% and 25% color. All bars should be 0p6 wide 100 100 100 100 100 100 with 0 spacing within country categories 94 94 and 0p2 spacing between country categories. 90 90 9088 If World, LDC, LDS or SIDS categories are spaced apart, 80 81 80 80 0p6 spacing from main regions. 78 78 74 73 Number labels should be inside color bars (ideally) and 0p3 from edge. 70 7167 If outside, left-aligned and 0p3 away. 67 60 60 60 Number line 0p2 below bottom bar. Stroke .25pt. 54 Tick marks 0p3 long. Text 0p1 below tick mark. 47 Legend categories right-aligned, 1p0 apart, 0p3 between color bubble and 40 40 40 text. Legend color bubble 0p6. Legend 0p6 below number line labels. Any note 0p6 below legend. 20 20 20 Note uses hanging indent. 0 0 0 2015 2020 2025 2030 2015 2020 2025 2030 2015 2020 2025 2030 Basic drinking water No open defecation Basic sanitation Basic hygiene Safely managed drinking water Safely managed sanitation Required growth Projection The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 38 The world’s wetlands are being lost at an alarming Early remediation of water pollution will require rate; it’s time to protect and restore them on a active monitoring, which is sorely lacking in the massive scale poorest countries Wetlands are considered the most biologically diverse of all Improving water quality is essential to protecting human and ecosystems and are breeding grounds for 40 per cent of the world’s ecosystem health. Assessments in 2020 of rivers, lakes and aquifers plant and animal species. Unsustainable use and inappropriate in 97 countries showed that 60 per cent of water was of good ambient management of wetlands not only result in the loss of ecosystem quality. However, of the 76,000 water bodies assessed, only 1 per cent services but can also pose direct risks, including disease. Moreover, were in the poorest countries. For at least 3 billion people, the quality the degradation of wetlands releases stored carbon, fuelling of the water they rely upon is unknown due to the lack of monitoring. climate change. Over the past 300 years, over 85 per cent of the Data are also lacking on groundwater, which often represents the planet’s wetlands have been lost, mainly through drainage and land largest share of freshwater in a country. Out of all reporting countries, conversion, with many remaining wetland areas degraded. Since 1970, only around 60 per cent included information about groundwater. 81 per cent of species dependent on inland wetlands have declined Agricultural and untreated wastewater pose two of the gravest faster than those relying on other biomes, and an increasing number threats to environmental water quality globally since they release are facing extinction. excess nutrients into rivers, lakes and aquifers, damaging ecosystem Other water-related ecosystems across the planet – such as lakes, function. Accelerated progress is needed to enhance farming rivers and reservoirs – are also changing rapidly. One in five river management practices and improve wastewater treatment rates to basins have experienced high (i.e., above natural) fluctuations in protect freshwater quality, especially in regions with high population surface water over the past five years. Population growth, changes to growth, such as Africa. With a well-developed monitoring system, land cover and land use, and climate change are key drivers of these water-quality issues could be identified at an early stage, allowing changes. Urgent efforts are needed to protect them and to prevent mitigation measures to be introduced before severe deterioration further degradation of these precious biological habitats. occurs. Stress on water resources in Northern Africa and Western Asia is already at dangerous levels Water stress occurs when the ratio of freshwater withdrawn to total Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of total renewable renewable freshwater resources is above the 25 per cent threshold. freshwater resources, 2019 (percentage) High water stress can have devastating consequences for the environment. It can also curtail or even reverse economic and social development, increasing competition and potential conflict among users. Globally, water stress reached a level of 18.6 per cent in 2019. Although it remained at a safe level (below 25 per cent), this average masks substantial regional variations. Northern Africa and Western Asia had a critical level of water stress that year, at 84.1 per cent, an increase of 13 per cent since 2015. More than 733 million people – 10 per cent of the global population – live in countries with high and critical levels of water stress (above 75 per cent). Promoting and improving water-use efficiency relieve water stress. Water-use efficiency improved by 12 per cent from 2015 to 2019 – from $17.4 to $19.4 per cubic metre. But in agriculture, the largest Critical (>100) High (75–100) Medium (50–75) water-use sector, it was only $0.63 per cubic metre in 2019. Increasing Low (25–50) No stress (0–25) No data the productivity of agricultural water is key to improving water-use efficiency, particularly in arid countries reliant on agriculture. Most countries still lack cooperation agreements on shared water resources, a potential source of conflict Transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers are shared by 153 countries of 42 countries have such levels of coverage, compared to 5 out of around the world. Ensuring that these waters are managed equitably, 42 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and a total of 3 countries across sustainably and peacefully, particularly in the context of climate the rest of the world. Accelerating progress will require that countries change, requires countries to put in place operational arrangements address data gaps (especially in relation to transboundary aquifers), for water cooperation. According to data collected from 129 countries, scale up capacity development and financing, capitalize on global 32 countries reported that 90 per cent or more of their transboundary water conventions and the draft articles on the law of transboundary water was covered by operational arrangements in 2020, an increase aquifers, and mobilize political will. from 22 countries in 2017. In Europe and Northern America, 24 out 39 Goal 6 | Clean water and sanitation Affordable and clean energy The world continues to advance towards sustainable energy targets. Nevertheless, the current pace of progress is insufficient to achieve Goal 7 by 2030. Improvements in energy efficiency, for example, will need to accelerate to reach the climate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hundreds of millions of people still lack access to electricity, and slow progress towards clean cooking solutions means that the health of 2.4 billion people is at risk. Huge disparities in access to modern sustainable energy persist, leaving the most Martha Alicia Benavente, from Tucurú, Guatemala, trained for vulnerable even further behind. In some countries, the COVID-19 six months to become a solar engineer, a traditionally male- pandemic has weakened or reversed advances already made. Rising dominated field. She can’t wait to start building solar lamps for commodity, energy and shipping prices have increased the cost her community. of producing and transporting solar photovoltaics modules, wind turbines and biofuels worldwide, adding uncertainty to a development trajectory that is already far below Goal 7 ambitions. Achieving energy mobilization of public and private capital for clean and renewable and climate goals will require continued policy support and a massive energy, especially in developing countries. Progress in electrification has slowed with the challenge of reaching those hardest to reach The global electricity access rate increased from 83 per cent in 2010 Proportion of population with access to electricity, 2010 and 2020 (percentage) to 91 per cent in 2020. Over this period, those without electricity shrank from 1.2 billion to 733 million. But the pace of progress Sub-Saharan Africa 33.1 48.1 has slowed in recent years, due to COVID-19 and the increasing Oceania* 36.2 68.5 complexity of reaching those hardest to reach. In 2018–2020, the Northern Africa and Western Asia 91.594.0 electricity access rate rose by an average of 0.5 percentage points Central and Southern Asia 75.2 annually compared to 0.8 percentage points in 2010–2018. 96.1 95.8 In 2020, over three quarters (77 per cent) of the global population Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 98.1 without electricity lived in sub-Saharan Africa, mainly in rural areas. Latin America and the Caribbean 95.9 98.5 Due to economic pressures imposed by the pandemic, up to 90 Europe and Northern America 100.0100.0 million people connected to electricity in Africa and developing Australia and New Zealand 100.0100.0 countries in Asia could not afford to have an extended bundle of services that year. If current trends continue, only 92 per cent of the World 83.290.5 world’s population will have access to electricity in 2030, leaving 670 0 20 40 60 80 100 million people unserved. A major push is needed to reach those living 2010 2020 in least developed and in fragile and conflict-affected countries. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Intensified efforts are needed in least developed countries to jump-start access to clean cooking fuels and technologies Between 2010 and 2020, the proportion of people with access to Share of population with access to clean cooking systems, 2020 (percentage) clean cooking fuels and technologies increased by 12 percentage points, reaching 69 per cent. This means that an estimated 2.4 billion people still relied on inefficient and polluting cooking systems in 2020. Much of the progress was concentrated in five countries: Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Pakistan. Excluding those countries, the global access rate remained unchanged over this period. While more than half of those without access live in Asia, 19 of the 20 countries with the lowest proportion of the population with access were LDCs in Africa. If current trends continue, only 76 per cent of the global population will have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies by at 2030. The adoption of clean cooking solutions can reduce health risks from household air pollution, support a green and healthy recovery and fuel economic growth in low- and middle-income countries. 100 75–99.9 50–74.9 25–49.9 0–24.9 No datta The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 40 Meeting global energy and climate objectives will require a major push in the deployment of renewables, with massive finance mobilization The share of renewables in total final energy consumption reached sectors and implementing effective tools to further mobilize private 17.7 per cent in 2019, 1.6 percentage points higher than in 2010. capital, particularly for developing countries. However, total renewable energy consumption increased by a quarter over this period. The electricity sector continues to see the fastest Share of renewable energy in total final energy consumption and by end use, progress: the share of renewables in that sector increased from 19.7 2010 and 2019 (percentage) per cent in 2010 to 26.2 per cent in 2019. That said, the electricity 7.3 8.7 16.1 Total final energy consumption sector represented only a fifth of global final energy consumption 6.2 11.5 17.7 in 2019. The heat sector represents half of this global consumption, 19.7Electricity 26.2 but progress there was negligible: the share of modern renewables 2.6 Transport totalled 10.1 per cent in 2019, a gain of less than 2 percentage points 3.6 from 2010. Renewable energy used in transport reached 3.6 per cent 14.4 8.3 22.7Heat 13.3 10.1 23.4 in 2019, up from 2.6 per cent in 2010. Traditional uses of biomass 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 – such as the burning of wood for heat – remained stable, still 2010 2019 Traditional use of biomass representing more than a third of total renewable energy use in 2019. Effective climate action will require strengthening policy support in all The target for global energy efficiency remains within reach, but only with significant investment on a systematic scale Improving energy efficiency is fundamental to meeting global climate Average annual growth rate of primary energy intensity, 1990–2010 and goals. The 2030 target calls for an annual improvement in energy 2010–2019 (percentage) intensity of 2.6 per cent, a doubling of the rate observed between Eastern and South-Eastern Asia -1.1-2.7 1990 and 2010. Global primary energy intensity – defined as the ratio Australia and New Zealand -1.2-2.3 of total energy supply to GDP – improved from 5.6 megajoules per Europe and Northern America -1.8-2.0 US dollar (2017 purchasing power parity) in 2010 to 4.7 in 2019, with Central and Southern Asia -1.5 an average annual improvement rate of 1.9 per cent. To meet the Goal 7 -2.0 Sub-Saharan Africa -0.9 target, and make up for lost time, energy intensity improvements until -1.3 Northern Africa and Western Asia -0.1 2030 will need to average 3.2 per cent a year. The target remains -1.2 -1.0 within reach, but only with significant investment in cost-effective Oceania* -0.7 -0.5 energy efficiency improvements on a systematic scale. Regional Latin America and the Caribbean -0.6 progress varies due to differences in economic structure, energy World -1.2-1.9 supply and electrification. The only region that has reached the target -3 -2 -1 0 so far is Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, with an annual average rate 1990–2010 2010–2019 of 2.7 per cent in 2010–2019, driven by strong economic growth. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. International public financing for renewable energy had already slowed before the pandemic, despite the growing urgency of climate change International public financial flows to developing countries in International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean and support of clean energy decreased for the second year in a row. They renewable energy, by type of technology, 2000–2019 (billions of US dollars at 2019 prices and exchange rates) amounted to $10.9 billion in 2019, down by nearly 24 per cent from the previous year. The five-year moving average also decreased for 25 the first time since 2008, from $17.5 billion in 2014–2018 to $16.6 billion in 2015–2019. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may 20 mean another drop in 2020. 15 Loans captured over 52 per cent of commitments in 2019. Grants comprised almost 17 per cent, signalling an increase in debt-free 10 instruments to support developing countries. Another up-and-coming instrument is shares in collective investment vehicles, such as 5 investment funds, which grew to $191 million in 2019, up by 91 per 0 cent from 2018. LDCs received 25.2 per cent of commitments in 2019 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 compared with 21 per cent in 2018, but the amount decreased from Hydropower Solar energy Wind energy Geothermal energy $3.0 billion to $2.7 billion. Multiple/other renewables 41 Goal 7 | Affordable and clean energy Decent work and economic growth The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated the worst economic crisis in decades and reversed progress towards decent work for all. Although the global economy began to rebound in 2021, bringing some improvement in unemployment, recovery remains elusive and fragile. Recovery patterns also vary significantly across regions, countries, sectors and labour market groups. Developed economies are experiencing a more robust recovery, while LDCs continue to struggle with weak economic growth and labour market fallout due to During the COVID-19 pandemic, Lala continued to sell fruit in workplace closures. Many small firms, particularly those in low- and the market in Antananarivo, Madagascar, but with a protective lower-middle-income countries, are especially disadvantaged, with mask. limited capacity to remain viable. Labour market groups most affected by the crisis – women, youth and persons with disabilities – are the last to recover. By the end of 2021, global economic recovery had been and persistent labour market challenges. The conflict in Ukraine is hampered by new waves of COVID-19 infections, rising inflationary expected to seriously set back global economic growth in 2022. pressures, major supply-chain disruptions, policy uncertainties Various shocks, including the war in Ukraine, continue to hinder robust economic recovery The global economy is slowly improving, although recovery remains Annual growth rate of global real GDP per capita and annual growth rate of real fragile and uneven. Globally, real gross domestic product (GDP) per GDP of LDCs, 2005–2023 (percentage) capita increased by 1.4 per cent in 2019, then fell sharply in 2020, 10 by 4.4 per cent, rebounding in 2021 at an estimated growth rate of 8 4.4 per cent. Before the Ukraine crisis, global real GDP per capita 6 was projected to increase by 3.0 per cent in 2022, and 2.5 per cent 4 in 2023. The war in that country is now likely to cut growth to 2.1 per 2 cent in 2022. 0 For LDCs, real GDP grew by 5.0 per cent in 2019, and showed zero -2 growth in 2020 due to pandemic-related disruptions. Real GDP of -4 LDCs is estimated to have increased by 1.4 per cent in 2021. It is -6 projected to rise by 4.0 per cent in 2022, and 5.7 per cent in 2023 2005 2010 2015 2021 2023 (projected) – still well below the 7 per cent target envisioned in the 2030 Agenda Global real GDP per capita Real GDP of LDCs for Sustainable Development. The pandemic has resulted in volatile shifts in labour productivity, affecting small firms and the poorest countries the most The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in unprecedented and volatile Growth in output per worker, 2015–2021 (percentage) shifts in global labour productivity. In 2020, sharp declines were 6 seen in both output and employment, and global output per worker dropped by 0.6 per cent – the first decline since 2009. However, since 4 working hours plunged by 8.9 per cent, productivity measured on a per-hour basis surged by 4.9 per cent. Lower-productivity firms and 2 sectors and lower-paid workers were disproportionately affected by 0 the pandemic, while high-productivity enterprises and high earners saw far less damage. Many small firms are disadvantaged, with -2 limited capacity to remain viable over an extended period. In 2021, global output per worker rebounded sharply, rising by 3.2 per cent; -4 Sub- Latin Oceania Central Northern Europe Eastern Least World however, productivity in LDCs declined by 1.6 per cent. The average Saharan America and Africa and and developed worker in a high-income country produced 13.6 times more output Africa and the Southern and Northern South- countriesCaribbean Asia Western America Eastern than the average worker in a low-income country in 2021. Asia Asia 2015–2019 2020 2021 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 42 Labour market recovery remains shaky The global unemployment rate is projected to remain above its 2019 impacted since the onset of the pandemic – women, youth and level of 5.4 per cent, at least until 2023. In 2021, unemployment persons with disabilities – are having the hardest time recovering. declined slightly to 6.2 per cent, which still translates into 28 million Unemployment rate, 2019–2021 (percentage) more unemployed persons in 2021 than in 2019. Furthermore, the level of unemployment underestimates the full employment impact 4.6 Least developed countries 5.3 11.5 of the COVID-19 crisis, since many who left the labour force have not 5.6 11.5 returned. It also does not reflect the reduction in working hours for 4.6 10.1 Landlocked developing countries 5.5 10.0 those who remained employed. In 2021, 4.3 per cent of global working 5.7 hours were lost relative to the fourth quarter of 2019 – equivalent to 6.3 Small island developing States 7.2 a deficit of 125 million full-time jobs (based on a 48-hour work week). 7.6 Labour market recovery has been inadequate and unequal. In 2021, 5.4World 6.6 the unemployment rate improved the most in high-income countries, 6.2 but worsened in LDCs, landlocked developing countries and small 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 island developing States. The groups that were disproportionately 2019 2020 2021 Informal employment was not an option for many Rising poverty and pandemic-related disruptions are workers displaced at the start of the pandemic forcing millions of children into child labour In 2019, 2 billion people worldwide (60 per cent of global employment) Worldwide, 160 million children (63 million girls and 97 million boys) worked in the informal sector. Although these jobs are characterized were engaged in child labour at the beginning of 2020. This is an by low quality and lack of social protection, they have traditionally been increase of 8.4 million children since 2016, translating to almost 1 out a source of income for workers displaced from the formal sector. This of 10 children engaged in child labour worldwide. Nearly half of them was not the case in the early months of the pandemic due to COVID-19 are involved in hazardous work that directly jeopardizes their health, containment measures and mobility restrictions. Rather than becoming safety or morals. Additional economic shocks and school closures unemployed or shifting to informal jobs, as in previous crises, laid-off caused by COVID-19 mean that children already in child labour may employees and self-employed workers left the labour force. Emerging be working longer hours or under worsening conditions; many more evidence from 29 countries shows that informal employment was may be forced into the worst forms of child labour due to job and disproportionately affected by job losses in most of these countries income losses among vulnerable families. The latest evidence warns in 2020. In Latin America and the Caribbean, informal workers were that, globally, 9 million additional children are at risk of being pushed twice as likely to lose their jobs than their formal counterparts. As into child labour by the end of 2022, compared to 2020, as a result of economic activity gradually resumed, informal employment, especially rising poverty driven by the pandemic. self-employment, has strongly rebounded in some regions, and many informal workers have returned from inactivity. For example, informal jobs accounted for over 70 per cent of net job creation in many Latin American countries since mid-2020. Youth training, education and employment have suffered massive disruptions, with women facing the biggest challenges The proportion of the world’s youth not engaged in either education, Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training, by sex, 2020 employment or training (NEET) increased from 21.8 per cent in (percentage) 2015–2019 to 23.3 per cent in 2020, due to the pandemic. This Central and Southern Asia 47.515.6 30.8 represents an increase of almost 20 million women and men aged 15 to Northern Africa and Western Asia 41.8 24. Although youth represented only 13 per cent of total employment 20.4 30.8 Oceania* 29.0 before the crisis, they made up 34.2 per cent of the 2020 decline in 26.3 27.6 Latin America and the Caribbean 30.5employment. Meanwhile, both technical and vocational education and 17.6 24.0 on-the-job training suffered massive disruptions, forcing many young Sub-Saharan Africa 25.717.9 21.8 people to quit their studies. Globally, young women are much more Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 22.013.7 17.6 likely than young men to find themselves unemployed and without Europe and Northern America 13.112.6 12.9 education or some form of training programme to fall back on. In 2020, Australia and New Zealand 9.8 10.411.0 the NEET rate was 31.5 per cent for young women, compared to 15.7 per 31.5 cent for young men. The development and implementation of national World 15.7 23.3 youth employment strategies is increasing across most regions. More 0 10 20 30 40 50 than half of the 81 reporting countries in 2021 have operationalized such Female Male Both sexes strategies, while slightly less than one third have developed one, but * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. have not provided conclusive evidence on implementation. 43 Goal 8 | Decent work and economic growth Industry, innovation and infrastructure The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of industrialization, techological innovation and resilient infrastructure in building back better and achieving the SDGs. Economies with a diversified industrial sector and strong infrastructure (e.g., transport, Internet connectivity and utility services) sustained less damage and are experiencing faster recovery. In 2021, global manufacturing rebounded from the pandemic, although the recovery remains incomplete and uneven. In LDCs, recovery has been sluggish and This worker in a factory in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, supplies beds remains uncertain; almost one in three manufacturing jobs was to Ekusileni Hospital, which serves as an isolation centre for negatively impacted by the crisis. Women, youth and low- and COVID-19 patients. middle-skilled workers suffered the most losses. Overall, higher- technology industries performed better and recovered faster, providing a strong example of how important technological innovation is to achieving Goal 9. Manufacturing in more developed countries has rebounded, leaving least developed countries behind After dropping 1.3 per cent in 2020, global manufacturing production Manufacturing growth, 2006–2021 (percentage) grew by 7.2 per cent in 2021, surpassing its pre-pandemic level, but 12 recovery remains uneven among countries. High-income countries benefited from massive policy support to firms and households and the 8 rapid roll-out of effective vaccines. In contrast, recovery in LDCs has been sluggish, due to subdued and volatile global demand, global trade 4 disruption and tighter domestic economic policies. The global share of manufacturing value added (MVA) in total GDP 0 increased from 16.2 per cent in 2015 to 16.9 per cent in 2021. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia expanded its share from 25.5 to 26.1 per cent -4 over the same period, due to strong global demand for manufacturing and exports in the region. However, the share in LDCs was only 12.5 -8 per cent in 2021. The same disparities are reflected in MVA per 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 2021 (estimated) capita. While Europe and Northern America reached an all-time high World LDCs of $5,000 in 2021, MVA per capita in LDCs decreased to $135 – comparable to 2018. Jobs in manufacturing have not regained ground lost during the pandemic As a result of prolonged lockdowns and travel bans, nearly one in Growth of manufacturing employment, 2019–2020, by country income groups three jobs in manufacturing supply chains worldwide have likely been (percentage) terminated, seen a reduction in working hours or pay, or been the 0 target of other cutbacks. Globally, the share of manufacturing jobs in total employment declined from 13.7 per cent in 2019 to 13.1 per cent in -3 -3.4 2020. The impact has been particularly pronounced in middle-income -3.9 countries, which have long leveraged participation in production chains as a source of employment and growth. The decline in manufacturing -6 employment in middle-income countries sank to 8.9 per cent in -7.4 2020, compared with 3.4 per cent in low-income and 3.9 per cent in -9 high-income countries. Some of the worst effects were felt in garment -11.8 supply chains, which employ large shares of women workers. Despite a -12 rebound in 2021, the fragile and uneven nature of the recovery means Low income Lower-middle Upper-middle income High income that global manufacturing employment has not yet returned to pre- income pandemic levels. Fiscal stimulus and vaccination coverage were crucial factors in determining the strength of labour market recovery in 2021. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 44 The passenger airline industry is still struggling to The lack of credit or other support has dealt a death recoup catastrophic losses blow to many small-scale industries The number of airline passengers travelling internationally totalled Small-scale enterprises were hit hard by the pandemic, and many 1.8 billion in 2020, a decline of 60 per cent from the previous year. collapsed. Due to their scale, limited financial resources and greater Seat capacity dropped by half, bringing air traffic totals down to dependency on supply chains, these industries are more vulnerable to levels not seen since 2003. Financial losses for the airline industry economic downturns than their larger-scale counterparts. The impact totalled $370 billion in 2020, and airports and air navigation services has been even more severe for small informal enterprises, partly providers lost a further $115 billion and $13 billion, respectively. Global because they have been unable to access formal lines of credit or air passenger traffic recovered modestly in 2021 with 2.3 billion COVID-19-related government support. passengers, compared with 4.5 billion in 2019, resulting in financial Government support plays a key role in helping small enterprises losses of $324 billion. In 2021, domestic air traffic reached 68 per cent survive and thrive during and after a crisis. However, only about one of 2019 levels, while international traffic remained weak – at 28 per in three small manufacturers are benefiting from a loan or line of cent – mostly due to sporadic outbreaks of COVID-19 variants and credit, according to limited survey data collected in 2020–2021. Such travel restrictions. stimulus is rarely available in low-income countries. Only 15.7 per In contrast with passenger traffic, air cargo traffic exceeded pre- cent of small-scale industries in Africa received those forms of credit, pandemic levels by the beginning of 2021 and is maintaining robust compared with 44.2 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean. growth. This upturn has been driven by a resurgence of economic activity along with a roaring e-commerce industry during the pandemic. Higher-technology industries are proving far more resilient in crises than their lower-tech counterparts Higher-technology manufacturing industries fared better than Manufacturing production, first quarter of 2018 to the last quarter of 2021 lower-tech industries during the pandemic, and therefore recovered (Index 2015=100) faster. Most industries using medium and high technology – such as 130 computers, electronics and pharmaceuticals – have already returned to pre-pandemic production levels, except for motor vehicle and other 120 transport equipment manufacturing. Production of motor vehicles is facing larger challenges worldwide due to supply chain disruptions of resources and intermediate goods. In comparison, lower-tech 110 industries, such as textiles and clothing, or coke and refined petroleum products, remain below their pre-pandemic levels. The manufacture 100 of basic consumer goods, such as food products, has seen a stable growth trajectory since the pandemic, with limited losses. According to 2019 data, the share of medium- and high-tech 90 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 manufacturing in total manufacturing in Europe and Northern 2018 2019 2020 2021 America was 47.7 per cent compared with 21.4 per cent in sub- Low technology Medium technology Medium-high and high technology Saharan Africa and 10.5 per cent in LDCs. Most of the world’s population are covered by a mobile-broadband signal, but blind spots remain In most developing countries, mobile broadband (third generation Population covered by a mobile network, 2021 (estimated), (percentage) (3G) or higher) is the main, and often the only, way to connect to Sub-Saharan Africa 49 33 7 the Internet. But in addition to connectivity, potential users need an Oceania* 61 18 11 Internet-enabled device and the skills to use it. The relatively high cost Latin America and the Caribbean 87 6 1 of such devices, along with the lack of literacy and digital skills, remain Central and Southern Asia 95 1 2 Northern Africa and Western Asia 77 20 2steep barriers to mobile Internet adoption and use. Australia and New Zealand 99 Between 2015 and 2021, 4G network coverage doubled, reaching Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 97 2 88 per cent of the world’s population. Although 2021 estimates Europe and Northern America 98 1 show that 95 per cent of the world’s population are covered by a Least developed countries 53 30 7 mobile-broadband network, the gap remains significant for LDCs and Landlocked developing countries 53 31 10 landlocked developing countries, where 17 per cent of the population Small island developing States 71 19 2 are without coverage. This means that SDG target 9.c – to provide World 88 7 2 universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed 0 20 40 60 80 100 countries by 2020 – has not been met. 4G 3G 2G While virtually all urban areas of the world are covered by a mobile- *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. broadband network, gaps persist in rural areas. In LDCs, 14 per cent Note: The values for 2G and 3G networks show the incremental percentage of the population that are not covered by a more advanced technology. of the rural population have no mobile network coverage at all, while another 12 per cent have only 2G coverage. 45 Goal 9 | Industry, innovation and infrastructure Reduced inequalities Before the COVID-19 crisis, encouraging signs across a number of indicators suggested that income inequality was narrowing. In many countries, for instance, the incomes of the poorest people rose faster than the national average, though inequalities in other areas persisted. Now, the effects of the pandemic appear to be reversing any positive trends. Those with relatively low incomes are at risk of falling behind. The pandemic has also intensified structural and systemic discrimination. Emerging markets and developing economies are Drought in Somalia has been spreading and deepening experiencing slow recoveries, widening disparities in income between since late 2020. Some 667,000 people have already been countries. The number of refugees worldwide reached the highest displaced by the drought, including Maryam, who used to be an absolute number on record in 2021; sadly, that year also saw a record agro-pastoralist. number of migrant deaths. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine rages on, forcing even more people from their homes and creating one of the largest refugee crises in recent memory. The war in Ukraine is adding to already record Large numbers of migrants lost their lives last year on numbers of refugees worldwide sometimes treacherous migratory routes By mid-2021, the number of people forced to flee their countries Last year, 5,895 people died fleeing their countries via various – due to war, conflict, persecution, human rights violations, and sometimes dangerous – routes. This surpasses pre-pandemic figures events seriously disturbing public order had grown to 24.5 million, and makes 2021 the deadliest year on record for migrants since 2017, the highest absolute number on record. For every 100,000 people according to the International Organization for Migration’s Missing worldwide, 311 are refugees outside their country of origin. This is a Migrants Project. The widespread impact of the pandemic forced 44 per cent rise from 216 per 100,000 people in 2015. In absolute many people seeking safety, reunification with family, decent work terms, countries in Northern Africa and Western Asia were the largest and better opportunities to take risky migratory routes. regional source of refugees (8.4 million), followed by countries in At least 3,411 people died on maritime and land routes to and through sub-Saharan Africa (6.7 million), and Latin America and the Caribbean Europe in 2021 – the majority of migration-related fatalities recorded (4.5 million). worldwide. On the overseas route in the Atlantic towards Spain’s The ongoing war in Ukraine has created the worst refugee crisis in Canary Islands, nearly 1,180 deaths were recorded, the most fatalities recent history. As of 23 May 2022, the movement of more than 6 on this route since data collection began in 2014. It was also the million people from Ukraine to other countries has been registered, the deadliest year on record for migrants along the border between the majority of whom are women and children. In addition, at least 8 million United States and Mexico, where at least 717 people died, 51 per cent people have been displaced inside the country to escape the conflict. more than in 2020. COVID-19 increased relative poverty in many countries, but others bucked the trend The proportion Towfo t dhifefe preonpt guuliadtei loanye rlisv fionr gtw oon- a lneds tsh rtehe-alinn eh taitllefs t. he national Proportion of the population living below 50 per cent of the national median income, Guides for edge of right-aligned text and bars are uniform (and account for median incomes ipsa caen f oirm otphoerr ltaannguta mgees)a. sure of social exclusion, relative 2019 (percentage) poverty and ineSqwuaatclhiteys aorfe ionf cfuollm, 75e% d, i5s0t%rib aundt i2o5n% w coiltohr.in a country. If this 25 proportion growAsll ,b iatr sin sdhoiculadt bees 0 tph6e w pidoeorest are falling behind in relative with 0 spacing within country categories 20 terms. Before CaOndV 0IDp2- s1p9a,c 1in3g pb etrw ecenn cto uonft rpye coatpelgeo,r ioesn. average, lived on 20 less than half thIfe W noartldio, LnDaCl , mLDeSd oira SnID iSn ccaotemgoeri.e Hs aorew sepavceerd, atphairst ,a verage 15 0p6 spacing from main regions. 15 share masks wiNduem vbaerr ilaabtieolsn ssh,o ufrldo bme ilnessidse tcholaonr b 5ar sp (eidre aclelyn) atn idn 0 Kp3a fzroamkh esdgtae.n 1312 and KyrgyzstanI ft ou tasridoeu, lnefdt- a2li5gn pede ra ncde 0npt3 ianw Bayr.azil and South Africa. 10 11 11 10 Number line 0p2 below bottom bar. Stroke .25pt. 9 Currently, only 18 countries have data for 2020, most of which are in Tick marks 0p3 long. Text 0p1 below tick mark. 5 Latin America aLnedge tnhde c aCteagroirbiebse raignht.- Aalimgnoedn, g1p t0h aopsaert,, 0twp3o b tehtwiredesn csoalowr bruabtbelse aonfd relative low incotmexte. increase in 2020, suggesting that the effects of the 0 Latin Sub- Oceania* Europe Eastern Northern Central World pandemic have Linegteennds cifoileord b suobbcliea 0l pe6x.clusion. However, other countries America Saharan and and Africa and Legend 0p6 below number line labels. Any note 0p6 below legend. and the Africa Northern South- and Southern experienced large declines. Brazil, for example, lowered the share of Caribbean America Eastern Western Asia Note uses hanging indent. Asia Asia people living on less than half the median income from 24.1 to 18.3 per * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. cent, thanks to large social transfers targeted to the poorest people in Note: Unweighted average across countries with available data within each region. Differences that society. in levels need to be interpreted carefully, due to a mix of income and consumption surveys being used across countries. Where country-level data are not available for 2019, the most recent data point is used. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 46 The pandemic has caused a rise in income inequality, jeopardizing two decades of steady progress The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating global income Change in between-country income inequality, 1988–2021 (percentage change) inequality. As a result, the steady progress over the last two decades 2 is now in jeopardy. Projections suggest that between-country 0.5 1.20 inequality rose by 1.2 per cent between 2017 and 2021, the first -2.6-2 -3.2 such increase in a generation. Before the pandemic, inequality was -3.8-4 -5.7 expected to have fallen by 2.6 per cent over the same period. -6 Forecasts suggest that income inequality within countries will -8 -10.3 also have increased in emerging market and developing countries. -10 Although the magnitude of this increase is expected to be relatively -12 small – around 1 per cent, on average – it halts the steady decline -14 -16.4 in income inequality seen in these countries since the start of the -16 -18 millennium. Worse yet, this increase may become entrenched, since 1988–1993 1993–1998 1998–2003 2003–2008 2008–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 pandemic-induced disruptions to education and the disproportionate With COVID-19 projection Without COVID-19 projection adverse effects on low-income households may worsen Note: Income inequality is measured using the mean log deviation. intergenerational mobility. Meanwhile, high inflation and surging public debt levels may hamper countries’ ability to support these vulnerable groups. Discrimination remains widespread, with women and persons with disabilities at heightened risk The spread of COVID-19 has intensified structural and systemic Proportion of the overall population experiencing discrimination, by selected discrimination and pervasive inequalities, which harm millions of grounds and sex, 2017–2021 (percentage) people and hold back every society. Addressing discrimination Ethnicity 8 through evidence-based policies allows societies to transform into 7 more inclusive, equal, resilient, just and sustainable systems anchored 6 5 in human rights. Sexual orientation 4 Sex Roughly one in five people have experienced discrimination on at 3 2 least one of the grounds prohibited under international human rights 1 law, according to data from 49 countries and territories collected 0 between 2017 and 2021. In countries where disaggregated data are available, women are more than twice as likely as men to experience discrimination on the grounds of sex. Moreover, women living in urban Age Disability areas are slightly more likely to experience discrimination than their rural counterparts. Among persons with disabilities, it is pervasive, Women Men with about one third reporting personal experiences of discrimination. Religion Workers’ share of national income is eroding, exacerbating income inequality Labour income data are key to understanding inequality. Measuring Labour income as a share of GDP, 2014 and 2019 (percentage) labour’s contribution to GDP provides an indication of whether higher Latin America and the Caribbean 47.5 national income will lead to increased material living standards for 49.1 50.1 workers. While employment is the main source of income for many Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 50.6 workers, income derived from capital disproportionately benefits the Sub-Saharan Africa 50.350.7 affluent. Therefore, a decline in the labour share of income from 2014 Central and Southern Asia 51.9 to 2019 – from 54.1 per cent to 52.6 per cent – represents upward 50.9 59.7 pressure on inequality. This drop is consistent with other related Europe and Northern America 57.6 evidence going back to the 1970s, suggesting that workers are losing Oceania 61.357.6 relative earning power over the long term. As a region, Europe and Northern America is driving the decline in Least developed countries 42.442.9 the labour income share, given its weight in overall global income. Landlocked developing countries 45.742.0 Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand) and Central and Small island developing States 49.0 Southern Asia have also experienced significant declines. On a more 48.9 positive note, data from sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the World 54.152.6 Caribbean, and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia showed increases in the labour income share, though these increases are typically 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 occurring from a lower starting point. 2014 2019 47 Goal 10 | Reduced inequalities Sustainable cities and communities Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities. By 2050, an estimated 7 out of 10 people will likely live in urban areas. Cities are drivers of economic growth and contribute more than 80 per cent of global GDP. However, they also account for more than 70 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If well-planned and managed, urban development can be sustainable and can generate inclusive prosperity. However, rapid and poorly planned urbanization leads to many challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing, A large proportion of migrants from villages end up in urban insufficient infrastructure (such as public transportation and basic slums in Dhaka, one of the world’s fastest growing megacities. services), limited open spaces, unsafe levels of air pollution, and increased climate and disaster risk. The deep inequalities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and other cascading crises further highlight infrastructure and universal access to basic services, is crucial in the the importance of sustainable urban development. Strengthening the recovery phase and in our ability to respond to future crises. preparedness and resilience of cities, including through high-quality Leaving no one behind will require an intensified focus on urban slums – home to 1 billion people In 2020, about one in four urban dwellers lived in slums or informal The reasons behind slum formation in developing regions are many: settlements. This translates into more than 1 billion people, 85 per rapid urbanization; ineffective planning; lack of affordable housing cent of whom live in three regions – Central and Southern Asia (359 options for low-income households; dysfunctional urban, land and million), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (306 million), and sub- housing policies; a dearth of housing finance; and poverty. To achieve Saharan Africa (230 million). The region with the highest percentage the SDGs, the world’s 1 billion slum dwellers must be given the of slum dwellers is sub-Saharan Africa, where more than half the support they need to lift themselves out of poverty and live free from urban population live in slums. Empirical analysis shows that a 1 per exclusion and inequality. Adequate and affordable housing is key to cent increase in urban population growth will increase the incidence of improving their living conditions. slums by 2.3 per cent and 5.3 per cent in Africa and Asia, respectively. Air quality is now being monitored in a record number of cities, but it remains substandard worldwide Air pollution poses a significant threat to human health worldwide. In cent of the 4.2 million premature deaths. According to data from 2019, ambient air pollution from traffic, industry, power generation, 2017–2019, which measured three-year annual averages, cities in waste burning and residential fuel combustion resulted in 4.2 million Central and Southern Asia have the worst air pollution in the world, deaths. Mortality is attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter more than two times the global average. of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) in diameter and other pollutants, which put peoTpwleo daitff einrecnrte gausideed la ryiesrks foorf tswtor-o akned, t hhreeae-rltin de itsiteleas.s e, chronic Annual exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban areas, three-year average Guides for edge of right-aligned text and bars are uniform (and account for obstructive pulmonary disease, lu from 2017 to 2019 (micrograms per cubic metre)space for other languages)n. g cancer and lower respiratory infections. PeoSpwlaet cwheist ha rpe roef f-uellx, 7is5t%in, g50 c%h raondn 2ic5 %d icsoeloars. es have a higher risk of severe illnesAsll abnards sdheoualtdh b efr 0opm6 w CidOeVID-19. Current scientific evidence Central and Southern Asia 62.7 with 0 spacing within country categories also suggests tahnda t0 pa2i rs paocilnlug tbieotnw ewene caokuenntrsy cthateg iomriems.une system against Northern Africa and Western Asia 34.0 infectious diseIaf Wseosrl.d , LDC, LDS or SIDS categories are spaced apart, Sub-Saharan Africa 32.6 0p6 spacing from main regions. Global PM2.5 cNounmcbeenrt lraabetilos snhso uhlda vbee isnstiedae dcoillyor d bearcsr (eidaesalelyd) a, nwdi 0thp3 a frno m11 e pdgeer. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 31.9 cent reductionI f oovuetsrid ae , dleeftc-aalidgnee. dM anodr 0ep c3o awunayt.ries now recognize the Latin America and the Caribbean 18.4 threat to humaNnu mhbeearl ltinhe p 0op2s ebdel obwy b aoitrto pmo bllaur.t Siotrnok ae n.2d5 ptth. e importance of Tick marks 0p3 long. Text 0p1 below tick mark. Europe and Northern America 11.9 measuring and communicating air-quality levels. A record number Legend categories right-aligned, 1p0 apart, 0p3 between color bubble and Australia and New Zealand 7.7 of cities (over 6te,x0t.00) in 117 countries are now monitoring air quality, double the numLebgeenrd s cionlocre b u2b0b1le5 0. pD6e. spite this progress, 99 per cent Oceania* 7.2 of the world’s uLergbeannd 0ppo6p buelloawti nounm lbivere l iinne laarbeealss. A tnhya nto etex 0cpe6e bde ltohwe l engeenwd . World 29.2 Note uses hanging indent. WHO guidelines on air quality, established in 2021, for PM2.5 of less than 5 micrograms per cubic metre (reduced from the 10 microgram 0 15 30 45 60 75 limit set in 2005). People in low- and middle-income countries are * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. disproportionately affected by outdoor air pollution, with 91 per Note: The vertical line represents WHO’s new air quality guidelines value for particulate matter (PM2.5) of 5 micrograms or less per cubic metre. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 48 Only about half the world’s city dwellers have convenient access to public transportation Between 2015 and 2030, annual passenger traffic globally is projected Coverage of public transport and share of population with convenient access in to increase by 50 per cent, and the number of cars on the road is likely urban areas, 2020 (percentage) to double. Public transportation systems that are well-designed and Sub-Saharan Africa 23.330.7 effective can promote mobility and enable people to access education, Central and Southern Asia 25.9 33.7 health care, employment and markets, while also reducing traffic 24.5 congestion and pollution. They improve the efficiency, inclusivity and Northern Africa and Western Asia 36.1 safety of urban areas, while also helping to battle poverty and climate Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 24.8 40.9 change. Latin America and the Caribbean 33.0 43.3 According to 2020 data from 1,510 cities around the world, only Australia and New Zealand 67.4 85.7 about 37 per cent of urban areas are served by public transport. Due 60.3 to variations in population density within cities, this translates to 52 Europe and Northern America 90.6 per cent of the urban population with convenient access to public World 37.0 51.6 transport (meaning that they reside within 500 metres walking distance of low-capacity transport systems – such as bus stops or 0 20 40 60 80 100 trams – or within 1,000 metres of high-capacity systems, such as % of urban area served by public transport % of population with convenient access trains and ferries). City governments still have a massive task ahead of them in seeking to enhance the availability and use of accessible, inclusive, safe, reliable and efficient public transport systems. As cities continue to grow, the longstanding problem of municipal solid waste continues to mount As urbanization increases, the world’s cities and metropolises are Municipal solid waste collection and management in controlled facilities, 2022 struggling to cope with the mounting problem of municipal solid (percentage) waste. When such waste is not collected and managed responsibly, it can become an incubator for infection and a source of plastic Sub-Saharan Africa 18.8 54.5 pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022, an average of 82 Oceania* 51.957.0 per cent of municipal solid waste globally was being collected and 55 Central and Southern Asia 24.0 72.1 per cent was being managed in controlled facilities. Municipalities Latin America and the Caribbean 56.5 in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania have an average collection 82.6 51.8 rate of less than 60 per cent. In Asia and in Latin America and the Northern Africa and Western Asia 84.5 Caribbean, cities have relatively higher collection rates, ranging from Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 58.9 84.6 70 to 85 per cent. In Central and Southern Asia, the gap between Europe and Northern America 84.6 95.4 the collection rate and controlled management rate is larger than in Australia and New Zealand 93.998.7 other regions, suggesting that many cities still rely on open dumpsites. Significant investment is needed in the development and maintenance World 55.3 82.4 of waste management infrastructure, especially in low- to middle- 0 20 40 60 80 100 income countries. This must be accompanied by improved policy interventions and strengthened environmental law enforcement for % of waste managed in controlled facilities % of waste collected controlled management of municipal solid waste. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Open public spaces in congested urban areas play More local governments are adopting disaster risk a vital role in social and economic life, but are not reduction strategies, but a broader disaster and widely accessible climate risk management approach is now needed In preparing for a post-COVID world, urban planners are rethinking The impact of disasters is felt first and foremost by those on the link between economic recovery and the equitable distribution of the front lines. Thus, local disaster risk reduction strategies are open public spaces. Parks, boulevards and playgrounds, for example, critical. Between 2015 and 2021, the number of countries reporting not only enhance the quality of urban life, but are places where people the existence of such strategies nearly doubled, from 51 to 98. can interact, playing a vital role in social and economic life. Data for Considering all the countries reporting, the average share of local 2020 from 962 cities around the world point to poor distribution governments that have adopted such strategies increased from of such spaces. Only about 37.8 per cent of urban residential 51 per cent in 2015 to 66 per cent in 2021. Countries have made neighbourhoods are conveniently located within 400 metres walking efforts to align disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation distance to an open public space. That translates to about 45.2 per and development plans at the local level. However, a multi-hazard cent of the urban population. As policymakers and city authorities approach to local resilience-building is essential given the systemic work to redesign and retrofit the spatial configuration of urban areas, and cascading nature of risk, often fuelled by climate change and, it is important to consider the distribution of open public spaces as more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic. well as green areas throughout the city. 49 Goal 11 | Sustainable cities and communities Responsible consumption and production Unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are root causes of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. These crises, and related environmental degradation, threaten human well-being and achievement of the SDGs. If we continue on the prevailing development pathway, the Earth’s finite capacity will be unable to sustain the livelihoods of current and future generations. Transforming our relationship with nature is key to a sustainable future. As the world develops strategies Much of the waste in the Dandora landfill, Nairobi’s largest, is for sustainable recovery from the pandemic, governments and all plastic. The equivalent of 30 truckloads of plastic packaging citizens should seize the opportunity to work together to improve are added each day, contributing to a mounting global resource efficiency, reduce waste and pollution, and shape a new environmental problem. circular economy. Growing reliance on natural resources has set the Earth on an unsustainable course Two different guide layers for two- and three-line titles. Domestic mateGruiaidle cs ofonr sedugme opft riioghnt -(aDligMnedC t)e xmt aenads buarse asr et hunei ftoormta (la nadm acocuonuntt for Domestic material consumption, 2000–2019 (billions of metric tons) of materials dirsepcactely f our soethde rb layn gauna geecs)o. nomy to meet the demands for Swatches are of full, 75%, 50% and 25% color. 100 goods and servAicll ebasr sf rsohmoul dw biet h0ipn6 awnidde outside a country. From 2000 to 2019, total DMwCit hro 0s sep abcyin gm woitrhein tchoaunnt r6y 5ca pteegro rcieesn t globally, amounting and 0p2 spacing between country categories. 80 to 95.1 billion metric tons in 2019. That translates to 12.3 tons per If World, LDC, LDS or SIDS categories are spaced apart, person. Two re0gpio6 nspsa acicncg ofruomn tmeadin f roerg iaonbso. ut 70 per cent of global DMC: 60 Eastern and SoNuutmh-bEera lsabteelrsn sh Aouslida b ae nindsi dEeu croolopr eb aarsn (did eNalolyr) tahned r0np 3A frmome reidcgae.. If outside, left-aligned and 0p3 away. During this perNioudm,b Eera lsintee 0rnp2 a bneldo wS booutttohm- Ebaars. tSetrronke A .2s5ipat .showed the 40 steepest rise inT DickM mCar,k sf r0opm3 l o3n1g .p Teexrt c0epn1 bte ilnow 2 t0ic0k m0a trok. 43 per cent in 2019. The main driveLresg eonfd t chaitse ggorroiews rtighh ta-arleig innecd,r 1epa0s aepdar pt, o0p3u blaetwioenen d ceolnors bituyb,b le and text. 20 industrialization and the outsourcing of material-intensive production Legend color bubble 0p6. from developedLe tgoen dd e0vpe6l boeploiwn gn ucmobuenr tlirniee lsab. eInlsc. Arenya nsoetde 0dpe6p beenlodwe lengceend o. n 0 natural resourcNeoste e uxsaesc hearnbgaintge isn dtehnet. pressure on sensitive ecosystems 2000 2005 2010 2015 2019 and ultimately affects both human health and the economy. Reducing Eastern and South-Eastern Asia Europe and Northern America this pressure requires increased resource efficiency, circularity Central and Southern Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Other regions measures and overall efforts to de-materialize economic growth. Too much food is being lost or wasted – in every country every day As the world faces rising food insecurity, too much food continues to countries can deliver on their Global Methane Pledge. When food be lost or wasted. In 2020, an estimated 13.3 per cent of the world’s is lost or wasted, so are opportunities for improving food security food was lost after harvesting and before reaching retail markets. and decreasing the environmental footprint of food production and These losses occur during on-farm activities, transport, storage, consumption. processing and wholesaling. This share has remained relatively constant since 2016, suggesting no changes in structural patterns of Proportion of food loss (after harvesting and before reaching retail markets), 2020 (percentage) food loss. In addition, an estimated 17 per cent of total food available to consumers (931 million metric tons) is wasted at household, food Sub-Saharan Africa 21.4 service and retail levels, translating to 121 kilograms per person each Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 15.1 year, with about 60 per cent of this waste occurring in households. Oceania* 14.8 Food loss and waste are global problems; they happen in all countries, Northern Africa and Western Asia 14.8 though food losses occur chiefly in developing countries while food Central and Southern Asia 13.6 waste occurs mostly in developed countries. Sub-Saharan Africa has Australia and New Zealand 13.6 the highest level of food insecurity, but also the highest rate of food Latin America and the Caribbean 12.3 loss. Europe and Northern America 9.9 Both food loss and food waste have substantial environmental, World 13.3 social and economic consequences. For example, food that ends up in landfills generates 8 to 10 per cent of global greenhouse 0 5 10 15 20 25 gas emissions. Reducing food waste is one means through which *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 50 The vast majority of the world’s electronic waste is not being safely managed When electrical and electronic equipment is discarded, it becomes selectively dismantled or extracted by open burning and acid baths, part of a fast-growing waste stream that contains both valuable and polluting the environment and negatively affecting human health. hazardous materials. The rapid rise in this e-waste is driven by growing E-waste collection rate (e-waste collected and managed in an environmentally consumption, short product life cycles and minor repairs. In 2019, the sound way/e-waste generated), 2019 (percentage) amount of e-waste generated globally was 7.3 kilograms per capita, out of which only 1.7 kilograms was managed in an environmentally Europe and Northern America 46.9 sound way (meaning that all hazardous substances are dismantled and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 11.9 adequately treated, and recyclable materials are reclaimed). E-waste Australia and New Zealand 9.0 collection rates are relatively high in high-income countries, but are Northern Africa and Western Asia 5.1 much lower in low- and middle-income countries – only 1.6 per cent in Central and Southern Asia 4.6 sub-Saharan Africa and 1.2 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean. Sub-Saharan Africa 1.6 In low- and middle-income countries, the necessary infrastructure Latin America and the Caribbean 1.2 has not yet been developed or is insufficient to manage the e-waste Oceania* 0.0 that is locally generated and illegally imported. Moreover, due to the World 22.8 lack of regulations in these countries, e-waste is managed mainly by the informal sector, usually in an unsafe way. Used refrigerants, for 0 10 20 30 40 50 example, are emitted in the open air and valuable components are *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Renewable energy is taking off in developing countries overall, but the poorest, most disadvantaged countries are lagging behind The capacity of developing countries to generate electricity from Installed renewable energy-generating capacity, 2011–2020 (watts per capita) renewable sources has soared over the last decade, from 109.7 250 watts per capita in 2011 to 245.7 watts per capita in 2020, outpacing population growth. Renewables represent over a third (36.1 per cent) 200 of these countries’ total electricity-generating capacity. Despite progress in developing countries overall, LDCs and landlocked 150 developing countries are lagging far behind. From 2015 to 2020, the compound annual growth rate of renewable energy in developing 100 countries was 9.5 per cent versus 5.2 per cent and 2.4 per cent, respectively, for LDCs and landlocked developing countries. At current 50 average annual growth rates, it would take these countries almost 40 years to reach the same level of progress that developing countries 0 achieved in 2020. Targeted action is needed for the deployment of 2011 2014 2017 2020 renewables in countries most in need. Developing countries Landlocked developing countries Least developed countries Fossil fuel subsidies remain alarmingly high, despite a More effort is needed to fully mainstream sustainable temporary drop in 2020 development and global citizenship in national education systems Subsidies that promote the production and use of coal, oil, gas and other fossil fuels cause a range of adverse environmental and health impacts Knowledge about sustainable development, global citizenship and – from air and water pollution to climate change. Such subsidies are peace enables individuals to take appropriate action and positively among the most significant financial barriers hindering the world’s contribute to the well-being of their communities. Around 90 per transition to renewable energy sources. In 2020, governments spent cent of countries report that Education for Sustainable Development $375 billion on subsidies and other support for fossil fuels, a decline and Global Citizenship Education are at least partially mainstreamed from $526 billion in 2019. However, this drop was mainly due to low oil in national education laws and policies, curricula, teacher education prices and reduced demand during the pandemic rather than structural or student assessments in primary and secondary school. However, reforms. In 2021, commodity and energy prices rebounded sharply, only 15 per cent of countries report high levels of integration in all four and we are likely to see a jump in both consumption and production areas. Much lower rates of mainstreaming are reported in technical subsidies for fossil fuels. Today, countries that were hesitant to seize the and vocational education (57 per cent) and in adult education (51 opportunity presented by low international fuel prices to reform subsidy per cent). A recent global survey of primary and secondary teachers schemes might be forced to maintain or increase subsidies to offset found that one in four teachers does not feel ready to teach themes the increasing fuel prices faced by consumers across the world. Such related to these topics. More effort is needed to ensure that these strategies will have fiscal consequences, however. They will also reduce issues are core components of national education systems. the resources needed to invest in greener recoveries and sustainable growth. The answer to high fossil fuel prices is a quicker and scaled-up transition to renewable energy sources. 51 Goal 12 | Responsible consumption and production Climate action The world is on the brink of a climate catastrophe, and the window to avert it is closing rapidly. Increased heatwaves, droughts and floods caused by climate change are already affecting billions of people around the world and causing potentially irreversible changes in global ecosystems. To limit warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, as set out in the Paris Agreement, global greenhouse gas emissions will need to peak before 2025. Then they must decline by 43 per cent by 2030, falling to net zero by 2050, according to the Intergovernmental Record-breaking temperatures in 2021 increased the frequency Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body responsible and intensity of wildfires and their associated risks to human for assessing the science related to climate change. and environmental health. In response, countries are articulating climate action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts through nationally determined contributions. However, current national commitments are not per cent over the next decade. Immediate and deep reductions in sufficient to meet the 1.5 °C target. Under these commitments, emissions are needed across all sectors to move from a tipping point greenhouse gas emissions are projected to increase by almost 14 headed to climate calamity to a turning point for a sustainable future. Rising global greenhouse gas emissions are resulting in record-breaking temperatures and more extreme weather In 2020, concentrations of global greenhouse gases reached new Global annual mean temperature relative to pre-industrial levels (1850–1900 highs, and real-time data point to continued increases. As these average), 1850–2021 (degrees Celsius) concentrations rise, so does the Earth’s temperature. In 2021, 1.5 the global mean temperature was about 1.11 ± 0.13 °C above the 1.25 pre-industrial level (from 1850 to 1900), making it one of the seven 1 warmest years on record (2015 to 2021). 0.75 While variations in global temperatures from year on year are to be expected, the long-term trend is a warming climate. With rising 0.5 temperatures, the world is experiencing more and more extreme 0.25 weather events. This translates into melting ice caps and glaciers, 0 intense heat and rainfall as well as sea-level rise and other potentially cataclysmic events, with adverse social and economic consequences. -0.25 Such extremes could be seen on every continent in 2021: record- -0.5 shattering temperatures in Canada, deadly flooding in Europe and 1850 1875 1900 1925 1950 1975 2000 2021 Asia, and drought in parts of Africa and South America. The global Source: The figure is drawn from the the World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2021 report, which combines six international data sets for temperature: annual mean temperature is projected to rise beyond 1.5 °C above HadCRUT.5.0.1.0 (UK Met Office), NOAAGlobalTemp v5 (USA), NASA GISTEMP v4 (USA), Berkeley Earth (USA), ERA5 (ECMWF), JRA-55 (Japan). pre-industrial levels in at least one of the next five years, edging precipitously closer to the lower target of the Paris Agreement. Fossil fuel emissions rebounded to a record high in 2021, erasing pandemic-related declines In 2020, social and economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 Carbon dioxide emissions from energy combustion and industrial processes, lowered energy demand around the world. As a result, global carbon 1900–2021 (gigatons of CO2) dioxide (CO2) emissions declined by 5.2 per cent in 2020 – the 40 equivalent of almost 2 billion metric tons, the largest decline ever and 35 almost five times greater than the 2009 drop following the global 30 financial crisis. But it was only a temporary reprieve. With the phasing out of COVID-related restrictions, demand for coal, oil and gas 25 increased. Consequently, energy-related CO2 emissions for 2021 rose 20 by 6 per cent, reaching their highest level ever and completely wiping 15 out the pandemic-related reduction seen in 2020. 10 5 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2021 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 52 Climate financing is just a fraction of what the United Nations says is needed to avert the worst scenarios Developed countries have jointly committed to mobilizing $100 billion Climate finance provided and mobilized for developing countries, 2016–2019 dollars per year by 2020, further extended to 2025, for climate action (billions of dollars) in developing countries. According to data from the Organisation 100 $100 billion/year goal for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), developed 80 countries have likely fallen short of that promise. Climate finance 79.6 78.3 provided and mobilized by developed countries totalled $79.6 billion 71.1 60 in 2019, up from $78.3 billion in 2018. Forward-looking scenarios by 58.5 the OECD estimate that the $100 billion target will not be met until 40 2023. 20 While the $100 billion annual commitment is considered the bedrock of international climate finance, it is far below estimates put forth by 0 the IPCC. The IPCC has estimated that $1.6 trillion to $3.8 trillion will 2016 2017 2018 2019 be needed each year through 2050 for the world to transition to a Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2021. Climate Finance low-carbon future and avoid warming exceeding 1.5 °C. Provided and Mobilised by Developed Countries: Aggregate Trends Updated with 2019 Data. Paris: OECD. Climate change is humanity’s “code red” warning, impacting across the SDGs Human activity has irrefutably caused warming of the climate, at a on the temperature threshold reached. For instance, endemic rate unprecedented in the last 2,000 years, according to the IPCC. species in biodiversity hotspots face a very high extinction risk, Its Sixth Assessment Report signals an urgent “code red” warning which will double if the global average mean temperature rises for humanity and outlines what the world can expect if global 1.5 °C to 2 °C, but will increase tenfold at 1.5 °C to 3 °C. Declining temperatures rise 1.5 °C or higher. ecosystems and biodiversity loss will affect nature-based services, threatening human health and our very survival. These conditions Disasters and extreme weather events also increase opportunities for the emergence of new zoonotic Every region across the globe is already experiencing weather diseases, such as COVID-19, and possible future pandemics. and climate extremes. As the planet warms, scientists anticipate Agriculture and food systems increases in the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, flooding, precipitation, droughts and cyclones. If current trends continue, the The droughts, floods and heatwaves brought on by climate change UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction project that medium- to large- are putting added pressure on food production in many regions scale disaster events could reach 560 a year – an average of 1.5 a of the world. Parts of Africa and Central and South America are day – by 2030, a 40 per cent increase from 2015. The IPCC projects already experiencing increased, sometimes acute, food insecurity that about one third of global land areas will suffer at least moderate and malnutrition due to floods and droughts. Other projected drought by 2100. With every additional increment of global impacts include devitalized soils, increased pest infestations warming, the projected changes in extremes will become larger. For and disease as well as weakened ecosystem services, such as instance, children under age 10 today are expected to experience a pollination. nearly fourfold increase in extreme weather events by 2100 under a Vulnerable populations 1.5 °C scenario and a fivefold increase under a 3 °C scenario. Climate change is affecting everyone, but the most vulnerable Oceans are hardest hit. The IPCC report estimates that 3.3 billion to 3.6 Sea levels have already risen faster than in any preceding century. billion people live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate Projections show that sea level could rise 30 to 60 centimetres change. Hotspots of high human vulnerability are concentrated in by 2100, even if greenhouse gas emissions are sharply reduced small island developing States, the Arctic, Southern Asia, Central and global warming is limited to well below 2 °C. A rising sea and South America, and much of sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty, level would lead to more frequent and severe coastal flooding limited access to basic services, conflict and weak governance limit and erosion. Ocean warming will also continue with increasingly adaptability to climate change, resulting in humanitarian crises that intense and frequent marine heatwaves, ocean acidification and could displace millions from their homes. By 2030, an estimated reduced oxygen. About 70 to 90 per cent of warm-water coral 700 million people will be at risk of displacement by drought alone. reefs will disappear even if the 1.5 °C threshold is reached; they Climate action now would die off completely at the 2 °C level. These impacts are According to the latest IPCC report, “The scientific evidence is expected to occur at least throughout the rest of this century, unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and threatening marine ecosystems and the more than 3 billion people the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods. action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a Biodiversity livable future.” The report calls for urgent climate action now. Even before the full fury of climate change has been unleashed, biodiversity loss is accelerating. Further losses in terrestrial, ocean and coastal systems are expected, with varying severity depending 53 Goal 13 | Climate action Life below water Human activity is endangering the planet’s largest ecosystem – its oceans and seas – and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people. Continuing ocean acidification and rising ocean temperatures are threatening marine species and negatively affecting marine ecosystem services. Between 2009 and 2018, for example, the world lost about 14 per cent of coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea” because of the extraordinary biodiversity they support. The oceans Small-scale fishers in Namibia are part of an initiative that aims are also under increasing stress from multiple sources of pollution, to advance decent work for a fair, resilient and sustainable which is harmful to marine life and eventually makes its way into the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. food chain. The rapidly growing consumption of fish (an increase of 122 per cent between 1990 and 2018), along with inadequate public policies for managing the sector, have led to depleting fish stocks. Combating the decline in ocean health requires intensified protection links between land, water, delta, estuary, coast, nearshore and ocean efforts and the adoption of solutions for a sustainable blue economy. ecosystems in support of holistic natural resources management and This includes a “source-to-sea” approach that directly addresses the economic development. Increasing acidification is limiting the ocean’s capacity to moderate climate change The ocean absorbs around one quarter of the world’s annual carbon Annual average pH values from representative sampling stations in open waters, dioxide (CO2) emissions, thereby mitigating climate change and 2008–2021 alleviating its impacts. This critical service, however, comes at a 8.4 price: it is altering the carbonate system and increasing the acidity of 8.3 the ocean. Ocean acidification threatens organisms and ecosystem services, endangers fisheries and aquaculture, and affects coastal 8.2 protection by weakening coral reefs. Further increases in acidification 8.1 are expected to accelerate over the coming decades. As acidification 8 worsens, the ocean’s capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere will 7.9 diminish, limiting its role in moderating climate change. 7.8 Over the last two years, the number of observation stations reporting 7.7 on ocean acidification has almost doubled, from 178 in 2021 to 308 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 in 2022. Gaps in reporting and data remain. Observation sites in the OISO (Indian Ocean) SURATLANT (Atlantic Ocean) open ocean have indicated a continuous decline in pH over the past LN6 (North Atlantic, Iceland) K2 (Pacific Ocean, Japan) 20 to 30 years. Coastal observations, on the other hand, present a Chatham Islands (Pacific Ocean, New Zealand) Chá bă (Pacific Ocean, United States) more varied picture due to multiple stressors. The proliferation of plastic, nutrient run-off and other Vast areas of the ocean are under protection, but forms of waste is killing marine life more intensive efforts are still needed The main sources of marine pollution are land-based, leading to a Marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective, area-based seemingly unstoppable flow of litter, waste and run-off into the ocean. measures to conserve biodiversity – including marine sanctuaries, In 2021, a study estimated that more than 17 million metric tons of parks and reserves – have seen substantial growth over the last plastic entered the world’s ocean, making up the bulk (85 per cent) of decade. The global coverage of MPAs stood at 8 per cent of global marine litter. The volume of plastic pollution entering the ocean each coastal waters and oceans in 2021. Recent designations of MPAs will year is expected to double or triple by 2040, threatening all marine life. raise this share, edging closer to the 10 per cent called for in the SDG For coastal areas, eutrophication caused by nutrient pollution shows and Aichi Biodiversity target. For example, a high-seas MPA that is an increasing trend from 2016 to the present. This has resulted in vitally important for seabirds was recently designated in the North a growing number of “dead zones” worldwide – from 400 in 2008 Atlantic, covering almost 600,000 square kilometres. to around 700 in 2019. While COVID-19 may have reduced coastal It is important that protected areas are strategically located – in sites pollution in some areas due to declining tourism and other activity, most critical to the conservation of nature, such as key biodiversity the pandemic does not appear to have eased coastal eutrophication areas (KBAs). That said, more than half (55 per cent) of marine KBAs, globally. on average, are still not safeguarded. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 54 Global fish stocks are still under threat, although the route to sustainability is clear and navigable Global fish stocks are under increasing threat from overfishing and Proportion of fish stocks at biologically unsustainable levels, by major fishing from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. More than a third areas as defined by the FAO, 2019 (percentage) (35.4 per cent) of global stocks were overfished in 2019, up from Arctic Sea Atlantic, Arctic Sea 34.2 per cent in 2017 and 10 per cent in 1974. However, the rate Northeast of decline has recently slowed. The Southeast Pacific now has the Pacific, Atlantic, Northeast Northwest Black Sea highest percentage of fish stocks at biologically unsustainable levels Pacific,Northwest at 66.7 per cent, followed by the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea Atlantic, Western Atlantic, Mediterranean Pacific, Eastern Sea (63.3 per cent) and the Northwest Pacific (45 per cent). In contrast, CentralEastern Central Pacific, Central Western the Eastern Central Pacific, Southwest Pacific, Northeast Pacific and Central Western Central Pacific had the lowest proportion (13 to 21 per cent) Pacific, Indian Ocean, Southeast Atlantic, of stocks at unsustainable levels. Improved regulations, together Atlantic, Southeast Western Pacific,Pacific, Southwest Indian Ocean, South- Southwest with effective monitoring and surveillance, have been successful in Eastern westIndian Ocean, reverting overfished stocks to biologically sustainable levels. However, Pacific, Antarctic Atlantic, Antarctic Antarctic and Southern Pacific, the adoption of such measures has generally been slow, particularly Antarctic in many developing countries, based on limited preliminary data collected in 2020. 0–5 5–15 15–25 25–35 >35 Data not available Pressure on fish stocks is lowering the contribution of sustainable fisheries to economic growth in some regions Sustainable fisheries play an important role in local economies and in Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP, 2011–2019 (percentage) food security. They accounted for about 0.10 per cent of global GDP in 2019, a share that has not changed significantly since 2011. In the Europe and Northern America small island developing States in Oceania and LDCs, this proportion Latin America and the Caribbean Central and Southern Asia rises to 1.5 per cent and 0.90 per cent of GDP, respectively, reflecting Northern Africa and Western Asia a greater dependence of the world’s poor on fishing. While some Sub-Saharan Africa regions have seen the contribution of fisheries to GDP rise, other Australia and New Zealand regions are facing human-induced external pressures on wild stocks. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia For instance, the declining sustainability of several stocks in the Oceania* Pacific Ocean has led to a worsening trend overall for Eastern and Least developed countries South-Eastern Asia, where sustainable fisheries fell from 1.06 per cent Small island developing States World of GDP in 2011 to 0.80 per cent in 2019. The sustainable management of fish stocks remains critical to ensuring that fisheries continue to 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 generate economic growth and support equitable development into 2011 2015 2019 the future. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Accelerated action is needed to support small-scale Restoring fish stocks – and incomes – through fishers, many of whose livelihoods collapsed under traditional knowledge the pandemic In the village of Menarbu, in Indonesia, people are entirely Almost half a billion people depend at least partially on small-scale dependent on the sea for their livelihoods since they are unable fisheries, which account for 90 per cent of employment in fisheries to grow vegetables for sale outside of their community. Yohanis worldwide. Almost all small-scale fishers (97 per cent) live in Ayamisebahe, a local fisher, has a boat equipped with an outboard developing countries and many face high levels of poverty and lack motor on which he transports his fishing lines, snorkel and kalawai broader social and economic development opportunities. Since 2015, (spear). In 2018, after noticing that conditions in the sea and fish efforts to provide small-scale fishers with access to marine resources stocks were deteriorating, his village introduced an indigenous and markets have expanded in most regions. The average global community-based coastal resource management system called composite score – measuring enabling frameworks, concrete actions of sasi. Since it was established, Mr. Ayamisebahe says that fish support and participation in decision-making by small-scale fishers – stocks are thriving and incomes rising. This traditional system, rose to an average implementation level of 5 out of 5 in 2022, improving which dates back generations, is premised on the balance between from 3 out of 5 in 2018. Current challenges include improving reporting people and their environment. It seeks to protect the coastal rates and accelerating progress in light of the disproportionate impacts marine ecosystem through a prescribed set of rules, including of COVID-19 on small-scale fishing communities. In many locales, when different species of fish can be harvested. The challenge for fishers were unable to catch, process or sell fish for long periods due to the community now lies in finding nearby outlets for their products, pandemic-related restrictions and collapsing markets. since the market is very far and gasoline is expensive. 55 Goal 14 | Life below water Life on land Healthy ecosystems and the biological diversity they support are a source of food, water, medicine, shelter and other material goods. They also provide ecosystem services – the cleaning of air and water, for example – which sustain life and increase resiliency in the face of mounting pressures. Nevertheless, human activities have profoundly altered most terrestrial ecosystems: around 40,000 species are documented to be at risk of extinction over the coming decades, 10 million hectares of forest (an area the size of Iceland) are being Farming in Africa’s Sahel region isn’t easy, but new technologies, destroyed each year, and more than half of key biodiversity areas such as this half-moon ploughing technique, is boosting rain-fed remain unprotected. harvests and making soil more permeable for planting. In an effort to prevent and halt the degradation of such ecosystems, many countries are sustainably managing their forests, protecting sites critical to biodiversity, and enacting national conservation biodiversity considerations into economic recovery measures and legislation and policies. However, other opportunities are being build a more viable future. But biodiversity has been largely neglected lost. The emergence of COVID-19 was an opportunity to integrate in recovery spending. The world’s forest area continues to shrink, mainly due to agricultural expansion The world’s forest area continues to decline, but at a slightly slower While nearly all forests in Central Asia, Europe and Western Asia fall rate than in previous decades. The proportion of forests fell from under a management plan, the managed proportion remains low in 31.9 per cent of total land area in 2000 to 31.2 per cent in 2020, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa. representing a Tnweot dloiffsesre ontf gaulimde olasyte r1s0 fo0r tmwoil-l aionnd thhreece-tlainree tsit.l eAs. gricultural expansion is drGivuiindegs afolmr edogset o 9f r0ig hpte-arl igcneendt t eoxft agnlod bbaarls dareef uonriefosrmta (tainodn a, ccount for Change of forest area coverage, 2000–2020 (percentage) space for other languages). including 49.6 per cent from expansion for cropland and Swatches are of full, 75%, 50% and 25% color. 8 38.5 per cent foArll lbiavres ssthoouclkd bger 0apz6in wgid. e with 0 spacing within country categories 5.7 6.0 Changes in foreasndt 0apre2 asp vaacirnyg bwetiwdeeelyn cforuonmtry r ceagteigoonri etos. region. Asia, 4 Europe and NoIrft Wheorlnd, ALDmC,e LrDicS ao rs ShIDoSw ceatde gaonrie os vaerer saplal cinedc arpearst,e in forest 1.30.9 area from 20000p t6o s 2pa0ci2n0g f rdoume m taoin a rfefgoiorness. tation, landscape restoration 0 Number labels should be inside color bars (ideally) and 0p3 from edge. -0.8 -2.4 and the naturalI fe oxuptsaidnes, lieoftn-a oligf nfeodr aensdt s0p. 3In a wcaoyn. trast, significant losses -4 were observed Ninum Lbaetri nlin Ae 0mp2e briecloaw a bnodtt osmu ba-rS. Sathroakrea .2n5 pAt.frica, mostly due to the conversioTinck o mf afrokrs e0spt3s l oinngt.o T eaxgt r0ipc1u bletluowra tli clka mndar.k . -8.1 -8 Legend categories right-aligned, 1p0 apart, 0p3 between color bubble and The felling of foterxets. ts continues, despite major gains in several regions. -10.4 Between 2010 Laengden 2d 0co2lo1r, btuhbeb lae r0epa6 .of forest land under certification -12 schemes increaLsegeedn db 0yp 36 5be ploewr ncuemnbte.r Tlinhee la pbreolsp. Aonryt inoonte o0fp 6fo breeloswt sle guenndd.e r a Sub- Latin Northern Oceania Europe Eastern Central World Note uses hanging indent. Saharan America Africa and and and long-term management plan increased from 54 per cent in 2010 to Africa and the and Northern South- Southern Caribbean Western America Eastern Asia 58 per cent in 2020. More than 700 million hectares of forest Asia Asia (18 per cent) were in legally established protected areas in 2020. Global efforts to promote access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources gains momentum The world continues to make progress on implementing frameworks Also by that date, the number of contracting parties to the for the sustainable use of genetic resources and associated International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and traditional knowledge. The Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Agriculture had grown to 148 from 135 in 2015. Seventy-nine Biological Diversity provides a transparent legal framework for the countries have submitted a national report on the implementation of implementation of fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising the Treaty’s provisions, a sizeable increase from 12 countries in 2016. from the utilization of genetic resources. As of February 2022, 132 In addition, the number of Standard Material Transfer Agreements countries and the European Union had ratified the Protocol, and 68 has increased, from 55,352 in 2015 to 81,556 in 2022, indicating that countries have devised at least one legislative, administrative or policy more users are benefiting from the Treaty’s Multilateral System for measure to ensure its implementation. research, breeding and training. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 56 The risk of species extinction continues to rise and is highest in Asia and small island developing States The risk of species extinction is increasing at a rate unprecedented Red List Index of species survival, 2000 and 2022 in human history. The Red List Index, which measures the overall extinction risk of species in selected taxonomic groups, reveals Central and Southern Asia a deterioration of 9.2 per cent between 2000 and 2022. Wide Eastern and South-Eastern Asia variations are found among regions in both the overall prevalence of Latin America and the Caribbean extinction risk and the rate of deterioration. Central and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, and small island developing Oceania* States suffer from more severe risk and faster deterioration than Australia and New Zealand Northern Africa and Western Asia the global average. The main drivers of these declines are the unsustainability of agriculture and the over-harvest of wild species. Europe and Northern America Human activities such as logging and farming are encroaching upon Small island developing States habitats, putting about 20 per cent of reptile species, for example, World at risk. To conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, key actions are urgently needed, including reversing the net loss of habitat, 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 transforming land management and transitioning to sustainable 2000 2022 agriculture. *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. Nearly half of areas identified as key for global biodiversity are under protection, though progress lags in four regions Given the wide variation in the distribution of biodiversity and the Mean proportion of freshwater, terrestrial and mountain KBAs covered by threats to it around the planet, it is important that protected areas protected areas, 2000–2021 (percentage) be located strategically. Safeguarding key biodiversity areas (KBAs) 50 through the establishment of protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures is helping prevent the rapid loss 40 of biodiversity. Globally, the mean percentage coverage of KBAs by protected areas increased from over one quarter in 2000 to nearly one half in 2021. Despite this encouraging trend, the growth 30 of coverage has slowed in recent years. Moreover, coverage is uneven. Four regions – Northern Africa and Western Asia, Central 20 2000 2005 2010 2015 2021 and Southern Asia, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, and Oceania Freshwater Terrestrial Mountain – still have mean coverage of less than 35 per cent across marine, terrestrial, freshwater and mountain KBAs. National planning processes are increasingly reflecting the value of biodiversity; still, progress is too slow Biodiversity directly or indirectly contributes to the attainment of Number of countries reporting different levels of progress towards national targets most SDGs. The number of countries incorporating ecosystem established in accordance with Aichi Biodiversity Target 2, by January 2022 and biodiversity values into national accounting and reporting Europe and Northern America 14 2 19 9 systems is steadily trending upwards. The majority of countries Latin America and the Caribbean 9 1 16 7 have established national targets in this regard, in accordance with Central and Southern Asia 3 8 3 the Aichi Biodiversity Target 22 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity Oceania* 7 1 3 3 2011–2020. By January 2022, 37 per cent of countries assessed are Northern Africa and Western Asia 9 2 7 6 on track to achieve or exceed their national targets; 58 per cent have Sub-Saharan Africa 8 1 23 16 made progress towards their targets but at an insufficient rate; and 5 Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 4 5 7 per cent reported that they are making no headway or moving away Australia and New Zealand 1 1 from their national targets. Despite important gains, Aichi Biodiversity World 55 7 81 52 Target 2 was not met by 2020. Building back better from COVID-19 is an opportunity to integrate biodiversity considerations into economic 0 20 40 60 80 100 recovery measures to build a more sustainable future – while reducing No national target Progress towards national target, but insufficient the risk of future pandemics. However, this opportunity is not being No progress or moving away from On track to achieve or exceed national target seized. To date, biodiversity has been a largely neglected area in national target recovery spending. * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. 2 Aichi Biodiversity Target 2: By 2020, at the latest, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting systems. 57 Goal 15 | Life on land Peace, justice and strong institutions Pleas for global peace are growing louder as the world witnesses the largest number of violent conflicts since 1946, with one quarter of the global population living in conflict-affected countries at the end of 2020. Amid these crises, and despite movement restrictions prompted by COVID-19, forced displacement has continued and even grown. As of May 2022, a record 100 million people had been forcibly displaced worldwide. This staggering number will increase along with the widening repercussions of the war in Ukraine. The cost of war In Lviv, Ukraine, Nicolai says goodbye to his daughter, Elina, 4, and conflict is high, affecting the poor and vulnerable the most and and his wife, Lolita, who are fleeing the war on a train bound for leading to global impacts and escalating human rights violations and Poland. humanitarian needs. Exercising fundamental freedoms in the defence of others remains deadly, with 320 fatal attacks against human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists recorded in 35 countries in 2021. Ending armed conflicts, strengthening institutions and enacting inclusive and equitable legislation that protects the human rights of all persons are necessary preconditions for sustainable development. Civilians continue to bear the brunt of violent conflicts, with record numbers forcibly displaced The United Nations recorded at least 13,842 deaths associated with with disabilities. Human rights violations in conflict-affected countries, 12 of the world’s deadliest armed conflicts in 2021. Among them including human trafficking and forced labour, have increased and were 11,075 civilians, and 1 in 8 were women or children. Though international humanitarian law has been disregarded, undermining the unacceptably high, the number of civilian conflict-related deaths global compact of humanity. dropped by 17 per cent compared to 2020, and by 69 per cent In addition to these more obvious consequences of war are other compared to 2015. Many of these conflict situations are fragile, with lasting and wide-ranging impacts. For example, the outbreak of war a growing risk of escalation and associated violations of international in Ukraine has caused food, fuel and fertilizer prices to skyrocket, human rights and international humanitarian law. disrupted supply chains and global trade and roiled financial markets, In May 2022, the number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, potentially leading to a global food crisis. While the humanitarian human rights violations and persecution has surpassed 100 million. emergency in that country is currently in the global spotlight, An estimated 41 per cent of people forcibly displaced worldwide were many other conflicts require equal – and sustained – attention and children, according to 2021 data. Children in particular have suffered compassion. Over the last decade, the world has spent $349 billion on immeasurable damage and disruption to their lives and development peacekeeping, humanitarian relief and refugee support. due to conflict, enduring physical and sexual violence, unmet basic Unless and until armed conflicts are ended, they will continue to needs, lack of access to education and wide-ranging mental health affect all segments of society and hit the most vulnerable the hardest. problems caused by trauma. Incidents of all forms of violence against To prevent further destabilization around the globe, the Secretary- children in Ukraine alone are estimated to be in the tens of thousands, General has called for all parties to armed conflicts to find alternative disproportionately affecting institutionalized children and children solutions to fighting and embark on a path of diplomacy and peace. Tracing is key to curbing illict trade in small arms, but it needs to be strengthened through better global cooperation Tracing is key to successfully investigating and disclosing the origins of were traced internationally through a foreign registry. This indicates illegal firearms – a crucial step in combating illicit trade in small arms. the importance of cooperative practices at the international level, That said, systematic implementation of tracing remains a challenge though they are not yet sufficient. Destruction of weapons is another globally. Between 2016 and 2020, an average of 28 per cent of seized important measure to reduce illicit arms flows. From 2018 to 2019, weapons were reported as successfully traced, according to data from national authorities destroyed an average of 48 per cent of weapons 20 countries. Close to 60 per cent of successfully traced firearms seized, found or surrendered. were identified through a national registry, and the other 40 per cent The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 58 About a third of the world’s population – mostly women – say they feel unsafe walking alone in their local neighbourhoods at night Two different guide layers for two- and three-line titles. Feeling unsafe Ginui dpeus bfolirc e dcgaen o ff ruignhdt-aalmigneendt taexllty a nedr obadres aoren uen’sifo srmen (saned o afc cwouenltl -for Proportion of the population that feel safe walking alone at night in the area in space for other languages). being and reduScwea ttcrhuess ta raen odf f uclol, m75m%,u 5n0i%ty a nedn 2g5a%g ceomlore. nt, becoming an which they live, by sex, average for 2019–2021 (percentage) obstacle to devAelll obaprsm sheonutl.d Oben 0 ap6v ewridaege, about 69 per cent of the world’s population repwoirtth f0e seplaicningg s waitfhei nw coaulkntirnyg c aatleogonreie sa t night in the area in 30 and 0p2 spacing between country categories. Latin America and the Caribbean 42 which they liveI f– W ao rpldr, oLDpCo,r LtDioSn o rt ShIaDtS hcaatseg roerimesa airne espda csetda abplaer tf,r om 2016 to Australia and New Zealand 54 82 2021. However0, ps6t asprakc dinigf ffreorme nmcaeins r eagrioen fso. und among regions, with Latin Number labels should be inside color bars (ideally) and 0p3 from edge. Sub-Saharan Africa 58 America and thIf eo uCtsaidreib, lbefet-aalnig nreedp aonrdt i0npg3 atwhaey .lowest level of perceived 66 Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 59 public safety a 74Nnudm Ebaesr tliener n0 pa2n bde loSwo ubotthto-mEa bsatr.e Srtnro kAe s.2ia5 prte. porting the Northern Africa and Western Asia 61highest. The prToicpko mratrikosn 0 op3f lwonogm. Texnt 0fep1e blienlogw s tiacfke m warak.lking alone in their 78 local neighbouLrehgoeondd csa taetg onriiegsh rtig ihst,- aolingn aedv,e 1rpa0g aepa, r1t0, 0 pp3e brcetewneteang ceol opro biunbtbsle and 65Central and Southern Asia text. 73 lower than thatL eogfe nmd econlo (r6 b1u bpbeler 0cpe6n. t versus 71 per cent), according to Europe and Northern America 73 85 2019–2021 datLae gfernodm 0 p160 b6el ocwo ununmtrbieers li.n Te lhaibse lgs.e Anndy enro tge a0pp6 h boelldows laegcernods. s all 61 regions but is particularly pronounced in Australia and New Zealand WorldNote uses hanging i dent. 71 (a 27-percentage-point difference) and Northern Africa and Western 0 20 40 60 80 100 Asia (a 17-percentage-point difference). Female Male Declining homicide rates continue to reflect strong gender differences Between 2015 and 2020, the global homicide rate declined by 5.2 per Trends and projections of the global homicide rate, by sex, 2000–2030 (homicides cent – from 5.9 to 5.6 homicides per 100,000 people. Globally, 8 out per 100,000 people) of 10 recorded homicide victims are male, although women and girls 12 comprise about 60 per cent of all homicide victims killed by intimate Projection 10 partners or family members. Gender disparities are also found at the regional level. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the homicide rate 8 declined by 6.9 per cent for males but increased by 2.7 per cent for females between 2015 and 2020. In Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, 6 the homicide rate declined by 35 per cent for males but by 20 per cent 4 for females. By 2030, it is projected that the global homicide rate will decrease by 2 19 per cent from the 2015 level, to around 4.8 per 100,000 people. 0 This falls short of the “significant reduction” by 2030 targeted 2000 2010 2020 2030 in the SDGs. Accelerated progress will require additional policy Male Female Both sexes 50% reduction interventions aimed at curbing lethal violence in the public arena, Note: Projections for years 2021–2030 represent linear extrapolations of trends observed for years 2015–2020. along with specific policies aimed at preventing gender-based killings within the home. Streamlined and transparent business processes can help curb corruption, which is found in every region Businesses around the world face obstacles and unfair competition Proportion of businesses asked to pay a bribe, latest data 2006–2021 (percentage) due to corruption, which adversely impacts the sustainable Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 30 development of national economies. Globally, almost 1 in 6 Oceania* 22 businesses face requests for bribe payments by public officials, most 21 commonly in transactions involving electrical and water connections, Sub-Saharan Africa construction-related permits, import licenses, operating licenses, Central and Southern Asia 21 and meetings with tax officials. The incidence of bribery varies Northern Africa and Western Asia 13 across regions. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and LDCs have the Latin America and the Caribbean 9 highest bribery incidence – affecting about 30 per cent of businesses, Europe and Northern America 8 whereas the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe World 16 and Northern America have the lowest bribery incidence – 9 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. Policymakers can reduce the prevalence 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 of bribery by requiring that business processes, such as applications *Excluding Australia and New Zealand. and payments for permits and licenses, are conducted online and are fully transparent. 59 Goal 16 | Peace, justice and strong institutions Partnerships for the Goals Many developing countries are struggling to recover from the pandemic despite a record-high level of official development assistance (ODA) and a strong rebound in global foreign direct investment (FDI) and remittance flows. Among other challenges, developing countries are battling record inflation, rising interest rates and looming debt burdens. With competing priorities and limited fiscal space, many are finding it harder than ever to recover economically. With the pandemic far from over and stark disparities in vaccine distribution among countries, In March 2022, these young people participated in a United there is also the threat of a “two-tiered” COVID-19 recovery. To build Nations Sustainable Development Goals Youth Panel Dialogue back better from the pandemic and rescue the SDGs, a full-scale in Bangkok. transformation of the international financial and debt architecture will be required. The world is facing a multitude of crises across the social, health, environmental, and peace and security spectrums. To find be scaled up – urgently. To stay ahead of crises, significantly more lasting solutions, international cooperation must investment in data and statistics will be necessary. Official development assistance has reached a new high, largely due to COVID-related aid, but still falls short of the target In 2021, net ODA flows by member countries of the Organisation for However, it could lead to a sudden reshuffling of budgets and threaten Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development development aid to the world’s poorer countries at a time when it is Assistance Committee (DAC) amounted to $177.6 billion, an increase urgently needed. of 3.3 per cent Tiwn or deiaffle rteenrtm gusid fer olamyer s2 f0or2 t0w.o -T ahnids t lherevee-lli noef tOitleDs.A represented 0.33 per cent oGfu didoens oforrs e’d cgeo omf rbigihnte-adli ggnreods tesx nt aantdio bnarasl a irne cuonimforem ( (GanNd Ia)c,c ount for Components of net official development assistance flows, 2015–2021 space for other languages). reaching a newS wpaetachke. sY aeret oift fsutlli, l7l 5f%el,l 5 s0h%o arnt do 2f5 t%h eco 0.7 per cent target, (billions of constant 2020 dollars) lor. and is not enouAgllh b atros sehnoaulbdl bee d0epv6 ewliodpe ing countries to get back on 200 track in meetinwgi tthh 0e s SpaDciGngs w tiathrign ecotsun. tTryh cea tiengcorrieeas se is mostly due to and 0p2 spacing between country categories. DAC members’ support for COVID-19-related activities (including 160 6.0If World, LDC, LDS or SIDS categories are spaced apart, 16.6 11.9 0p6 spacing from main regions. 155.2 154.9prevention, treatment and care), with an initial estimate of $18.7 151.3 150.6 146.0 149.9 139.8 billion. Within tNhuims bteort laabl,e Ols sDhoAu lfdo bre Cinside color bars (ideally) and 0p3 from edge. 120If outside, left-aligned and 0OpV3 aIwDa-y1.9 vaccine donations was $6.3 billion (orN 3u.m5b peer lrin cee 0npt2 obefl otowt baolt tnoemt bOarD. SAtro)k, ea .m25optu. nting to nearly 857 million dosTeicsk fmoarr kdse 0vpe3 llonpgi.n Tge xct o0up1n bterlioews .t ick mark. 80 Legend categories right-aligned, 1p0 apart, 0p3 between color bubble and Since 2015, nett eOxtD. A has increased by 20 per cent. Despite fiscal 40 pressures in allL ecgoeundn tcroileors b, uObbDleA 0 p6e. aked in 2020 and again in 2021. The ongoing war inL Uegkernadi 0npe6 ibse hloawv ninumg bae rd liinree lcatb eimls. pAanyc nt ooten 0 Op6D bAelo iwn l2eg0e2nd2. , due 0 to increased spNeonted uinsegs ohann grienfgu ingdeeents.. Military assistance to Ukraine and 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 rising military spending by European nations is not considered ODA. Other ODA COVID-19-related expenses COVID-19 vaccines The importance of data and statistics for sound decision-making has never been clearer, but funding for this sector has stagnated Timely and high-quality data have proven to be critical in guiding expect to face the most significant funding shortages in business and decision-making for development, particularly during the pandemic. In agricultural censuses as well as population and housing censuses. 2021, 150 countries and territories reported implementing a national Early analysis indicates that ODA for data and statistics amounted statistical plan, up from 132 in 2020, with 84 of those fully funded. to $650 million in 2020, a slight decline from $662 million in 2019. The pandemic has delayed the development of new plans worldwide, The overall trend in funding for this sector has remained stagnant at meaning that many national statistics offices are implementing 0.3 per cent of total ODA. Moreover, excluding a significant rise in expired plans that may not fully cover their evolving development funding for health data, funding received for other statistical activities objectives. that are considered fundamental declined by 18 per cent. Funding A recent survey found that the majority of national statistics offices in for data specific to the SDGs, such as gender data and climate data, low-income countries experienced either moderate or severe delays declined even more than that in 2020. This indicates that even the in budget disbursement in 2021. Many of them relied on development most basic data activities were quickly deprioritized at the beginning aid from external sources, which has decreased during the pandemic, of the pandemic, leading to serious data gaps and backlogs in to implement their work programme. Over the next three years, they countries most in need. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 60 The pandemic has added extra weight to the debt burdens of low- and middle-income countries Total external debt stocks of low- and middle-income countries rose Debt service to export ratio by income group, 2011–2020 (percentage) by 5.3 per cent in 2020 to $8.7 trillion. This was driven by an increase 10 in long-term debt, which rose by 6 per cent to $6.3 trillion. As a result of the global pandemic, external debt ratios further deteriorated as 8 the pace of external debt accumulation outstripped growth of export earnings in most low- and middle-income countries. In low-income 6 countries, the total public and publicly guaranteed debt service to export ratio rose from an average of 3.1 per cent in 2011 to 8.8 per 4 cent in 2020. The worsening of debt indicators was widespread and affected countries in all geographic regions. Countries in sub- 2 Saharan Africa have seen the most pronounced deterioration in debt indicators: the ratio of debt to GNI rose from an average of 23.4 per 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 cent in 2011 to 43.7 per cent in 2020, and the average debt-to-export Low-income countries Lower-middle-income countries ratio tripled over the same period. Upper-middle-income countries Internet use has surged, prompted by the pandemic, although poorer regions still lag behind Since the emergence of COVID-19, the Internet has become vital for Proportion of individuals using the Internet, 2021 (percentage) working, learning, accessing basic services and keeping in touch. The latest data show that uptake of the Internet has accelerated during Sub-Saharan Africa 32.4 the pandemic. In 2019, 4.1 billion people (or 54 per cent of the world’s Oceania* 39.3 population) were using the Internet. The number of users surged by Central and Southern Asia 46.3 Northern Africa and Western Asia 71.2 782 million to reach 4.9 billion people in 2021, or 63 per cent of the Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 71.5 global population. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the number Latin America and the Caribbean 74.7 of Internet users grew by 10.2 per cent. This was the largest increase Europe and Northern America 89.6 in a decade, driven by developing countries, where Internet use went Australia and New Zealand 90.5 up by 13.3 per cent. In 2021, growth returned to a more modest 5.8 Least developed countries 27.0 per cent, in line with pre-crisis rates. The number of Internet users in Landlocked developing countries 34.7 LDCs increased by 20 per cent and accounted for 27 per cent of the Small island developing States 63.5 user population between 2019 and 2021. World 62.5 Fixed broadband subscriptions continue to grow steadily, reaching a global average of 17 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2021. 0 20 40 60 80 100 In LDCs, despite double-digit growth, fixed broadband remains a * Excluding Australia and New Zealand. privilege of the few, with only 1.4 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Global foreign direct investment rebounded strongly Remittance flows to poorer countries remain in 2021, but flows to the poorest countries showed robust, buttressed by strong economic activity and only modest growth employment levels in many host countries Global foreign direct investment flows rebounded strongly in 2021, In 2021, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reaching $1.58 trillion, an increase of 64 per cent compared to 2020. reached $605 billion, a robust growth of 8.6 per cent from 2020. Recovery was highly uneven across regions, however. Developed For a second consecutive year, remittance flows to these countries economies saw the biggest rise, with FDI reaching an estimated (excluding China) surpassed the sum of FDI and ODA. This significant $746 billion in 2021 – more than double the 2020 level. FDI flows rise was fuelled primarily by migrants sending money home to families in developing economies increased by 30 per cent, to nearly $837 facing economic hardships during the pandemic. Strong economic billion. Flows in LDCs saw a more modest growth of 13 per cent. activity and employment levels in many large host countries that Inflows to LDCs, landlocked developing countries and small island implemented fiscal stimulus programmes aided this growth. The cost developing States combined accounted for only 2.5 per cent of the of sending money across international borders continued to remain world total in 2021, down from 3.5 per cent in 2020. high, at 6.0 per cent on average, double the 3 per cent target. International investment in SDG-related sectors in developing It is projected that remittance flows will increase by 4.2 per cent to countries increased by 70 per cent in 2021. Most of the growth came reach $630 billion in 2022, less than half the growth seen in 2021. from renewable-energy and energy-efficiency projects. However, the This decline is a direct impact of the crisis in Ukraine. Remittances share of total SDG investment in developing countries that went to to that country are expected to rise by over 20 per cent in 2022. LDCs decreased from 19 per cent in 2020 to 15 per cent in 2021. However, many Central Asian countries dependent on the Russian Federation will likely see a decline in remittance flows. 61 Goal 17 | Partnerships for the Goals Note to the reader Global indicator framework for the follow-up and review of the Sustainable Development Goals The information presented in this report is based on the latest The choice of indicators used in the report does not represent available data (as of June 2022) on selected indicators in the global a prioritization of targets, since all goals and targets are equally indicator framework1 for the SDGs. The global indicator framework important. Similarly, the composition of regions and subregions is used to review progress at the global level and was developed by cited is based on United Nations geographical divisions, with some the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) modifications necessary to create, to the extent possible, groups of and adopted by the General Assembly on 6 July 2017 (see resolution countries for which a meaningful analysis could be carried out.2 71/313, annex). Data sources and basis for the analysis The values for most of the indicators presented in the report represent by strengthening the coordination function of national statistical regional and/or subregional aggregates. In general, the figures are offices in national statistical systems. weighted averages of country data, using the reference population as A database of available global, regional and country data and a weight, and calculated from national data compiled by international metadata for the SDG indicators accompanying this report is agencies, according to their respective mandates and specialized maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division and is available expertise, from national statistical systems. The national data compiled at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs. Owing to the emergence of new data by the international agencies are often adjusted for comparability and, and revised methodologies, data series presented in this report may where lacking, are estimated. As decided by the Statistical Commission not be comparable with previous data series. and in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution Although the aggregate figures presented here are a convenient way 2006/6, estimates used to compile the global indicators should be to track progress, the situation of individual countries within a given produced in full consultation with national statistical authorities. The region, and across population groups and geographical areas within criteria and mechanisms for validation by national statistical authorities a country, may vary significantly from regional averages. Presenting are outlined in the report of the IAEG-SDGs3 and were endorsed by the 4 aggregate figures for all regions also obscures another reality: the Statistical Commission at its fiftieth session. lack, in many parts of the world, of adequate data to assess national The collaboration between national statistical systems and regional trends and to inform and monitor the implementation of development and international organizations is essential for the effective flow of policies. internationally comparable data. Such mechanisms can be improved 1 The complete list of indicators is available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/indicators-list/. 2 The composition of the subregions is shown in the section on regional groupings. 3 See the “Report of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators” (E/CN.3/2019/2), annex I. 4 See Report of the Statistical Commission on its fiftieth session (E/2019/24-E/CN.3/2019/34). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 62 Regional groupings Sub-Saharan Africa Northern Africa and Western Asia Central and Southern Asia Eastern and South-Eastern Asia Latin America and the Caribbean Australia and New Zealand Oceania* Europe and Northern America Notes: • Oceania* refers to Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, throughout the publication. • The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this and other maps throughout this publication do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. This report presents data on progress made towards achieving the developing regions and countries for the purpose of statistical analysis SDGs worldwide and by various groups. The country groupings only, and are based on the practice employed by the international are based on the geographic regions defined under the Standard agencies that provided the data. 6 2 Country or Area Codes for Statistical Use (known as M49)51 of the In addition, the text and figures present, to the extent possible, data United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics for least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and Division. The geographic regions are shown on the map above. For small island developing States, which are country groups requiring the purpose of presentation, some of the M49 regions have been special attention. combined. A complete list of countries included in each region and subregion and The use of geographic regions as the basis for country groupings is country group is available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators a major change from The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2016 /regional-groups. and the progress reports on the Millennium Development Goals. The term “country” as used in the text of this publication also refers, Previously, data were presented for countries in “developed” regions as appropriate, to territories and areas. The designations employed and countries in “developing” regions, which were further broken and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply down into geographic subregions. Although there is no established the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United convention for the designation of “developed” and “developing” Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or countries or areas in the United Nations system, data for some area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers indicators in this report are still being presented for developed and or boundaries. 5 Full details of the M49 standard can be found on the Statistics Division website at https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49. 6 The discussion note, “Update of the regional groupings for the SDG report and database”, of 31 October 2016 describes the details of this change and is available at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/regional-groups. 63 Regional groupings Photo credits: Cover © WFP/Sayed Asif Mahmud Page 6 © UNICEF/Olivia Acland Page 26 © ILRI/Mann Page 28 © FAO/Luis Tato Page 30 © UN Women/Pathumporn Thongking Page 34 © UNICEF/Rindra Ramasomanana Page 36 © ILO Sri Lanka Page 38 © European Union/ECHO/Melaku Asefa Page 40 © UN Women/Ryan Brown Page 42 © ILO/E. Raboanaly Page 44 © ILO/KB Mpofu Page 46 © FAO/Arete/Ismail Taxta Page 48 © Zoriah Page 50 © UNEP Page 52 © USFS photo Page 54 © ILO/Victor Libuku Page 56 © FAO/Giulio Napolitano Page 58 © AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti Page 60 © UN Thailand Map credits: Maps on pages 39 and 40 are from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division. Mapping data are provided by the United Nations Geospatial Information Section. Design of Overview infographics on pages 8–25: Dewi Glanville, using icons from thenounproject.com under a NounPro licence. Additional report design, graphics design, copy-editing, typesetting and proofreading: Content Services Unit/Department for General Assembly and Conference Management Editor: Lois Jensen Copyright © 2022 United Nations All rights reserved worldwide Requests to reproduce excerpts or to photocopy should be addressed to the Copyright Clearance Center at http://www.copyright.com. All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to: United Nations Publications, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States of America. Email: publications@un.org; website: http://www.un.org/publications United Nations publication issued by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) ISBN: 978-92-1-101448-8 e-ISBN: 978-92-1-001809-8 ISSN: 2518-3915 e-ISSN: 251-3958 Sales No. E.22.I.2 The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 64 In response to General Assembly resolution 70/1 requesting the Secretary-General to prepare annual progress reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (para. 83), the present report was prepared by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with input from international and regional organ- izations, and offices, specialized agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, listed below. Several national statisticians, experts from civil society and academia also contributed to the report. Alliance of Small Island States Asian Development Bank (ADB) Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Energy Agency International Labour Organization (ILO) International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Renewable Energy Agency International Telecommunication Union (ITU) International Trade Centre (ITC) International Union for Conservation of Nature Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions, Department of Peace Operations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) Peacebuilding Support Office, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Sustainable Energy for All United Nations Capital Development Fund United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) United Nations Mine Action Service United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) UN-Energy UN-Ocean UN-Water World Bank Group World Health Organization (WHO) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Trade Organization (WTO) For more information, visit the Sustainable Development Goals website of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division at https://unstats.un.org/sdgs. We must rise higher to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals – and stay true to our promise of a world of peace, dignity and prosperity on a healthy planet . — António GUTERRES SecretAry-GenerAl of the United nAtionS ISBN 978-92-1-101448-8 22-04175