For the First Time, India Breaks into Top 100 in Global SDG Rankings

India has improved very well in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index as it ranks 99 th out of 167 countries in the 2025 version of Sustainable Development Report (SDR). It is a significant milestone because India has improved its ranking in 2024 although it ranked 109th and the score was 67. The report was published by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and follows the implementation of the 17 SDGs that were adopted in 2015. The improvement of the ranking of India is commendable as it ranks higher compared to its nearby states such as Bangladesh and Pakistan but lower than China and the United States. Nevertheless, the report cautions that the path towards global SDG has been going relatively nowhere with just 17% of the SDG goals on course in 2030.

Context

• Acquiring the 99 th position in the international SDG search rankings, India has gained entry into the top 100 in the list for the first time with a score of 67. 

• Even though there are improvements, the report also outlines major problems in the SDG performance across the world.

Key Points

The ranking of India in the SDG:

• This is the first time India is in the top 100 nations on the 2025 SDG Index which pegs it at place 99 of 167 countries.

• India scored 67 which is also a tremendous improvement on the 109 th ranking of 2024.

Comparison to other Nations:

• China is placed at number 49 with a score of 74.4 with the United States at number 44 with 75.2 points.

• Among India’s neighbors:

  • Bhutan ranks 74th with 70.5.

  • Nepal is at 85th with 68.6.

  • Bangladesh is at 114th with 63.9.

  • Pakistan stands at 140th with 57.

  • Maldives and Sri Lanka are ranked 53rd and 93rd, respectively.

Global Climate and the Issues:

• The SDG Index gauges the worldwide achievement of the 17 SDGs accepted by the United Nations in 2015, and a score of 100 demonstrates the full accomplishment of these objectives.

• Global SDG movement has mostly stopped, and just 17% of all objectives are expected to be reached by 2030. 

• The obstacles to meeting the goals on the basis of factors such as conflicts, structural weaknesses and constrained fiscal space have been pointed out.

European Nations hegemony:

• The highest positions of the SDG Index are occupied by European countries, especially Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.

• The leading 20 countries are in Europe with a display of high regional outlays in sustainable development efforts.

The Problems of the Ranking Nations:

• Even the leading European countries are struggling, especially in terms of anthropogenic climatic changes and the concept of biodiversity most prominently caused by unsustainable consumption habits.

Conclusion

Since the country ended up in the 99th position in terms of SDG Index in the year 2025 it is evident that the country has made positive efforts in progressing towards giving off positive experiences towards attaining sustainability in the region. In spite of the progress, structural issues still hamper global SDG efforts and India should still pay attention to such signs as poverty eradication, climate action, and health care, to advance its performance further in connection with SDGs. The world trend shows that Europe is the innovative leader of sustainable development, but even they have to cope with difficulties.