Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita
Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person
Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex
Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
Average hourly earnings of employees, by sex, age, occupation and persons with disabilities
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities
By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training
Proportion of youth (aged 15–24 years) not in education, employment or training
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms
Proportion and number of children aged 5–17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate
Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements
By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy
Gender — Global
Education can be a powerful force for shifting unequal gender norms, but schools do not transform them automatically. Embedding gender equality in education systems at scale – and defending that work against growing backlash – requires sustained political commitment, institutional reform, and public support
Gender — Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
Conflict and displacement are driving a largely overlooked crisis in maternal nutrition, with grave consequences for women, babies, and long-term development. Protecting mothers’ health is one of the most effective ways to save lives and advance progress across the SDGs in fragile settings
Gender — Global
Motherhood still comes with a pay penalty, and women continue to be paid less for work of equal value – not by accident, but by design. Tackling these injustices means changing how pay is set and progression is measured and rewarded – through transparency, enforcement, and stronger worker protections
Gender — Global, Sub-Saharan Africa
When climate solutions fit local realities, they can restore ecosystems, strengthen food security, reduce vulnerability for women and expand their economic agency
Economic development
Europe has not abandoned the Green Deal – its flagship strategy for climate neutrality and shared prosperity – but it risks hollowing it out. As implementation pressures mount, the question is not whether the vision survives on paper, but whether it can still deliver a fair, system-wide transformation aligned with the SDGs
Climate — Global
As the green transition accelerates, millions of new jobs will emerge – but the skills needed to fill them are evolving even faster. Preparing children and young people for this future means rethinking education, work, and what “green” really demands of us
Climate — Global
The world is warming faster than our systems can respond. How can the COP process turn new commitments into action before the window for impact closes?
Economic development
“Leave no one behind,” the central tenet of the SDGs, underlines the importance of tackling inequality as countries strive to achieve the Global Goals. Rampant inequality is connected to setbacks in other areas, from democratic backsliding and the weakening rule of law to sluggish action on climate
Extractive and land resources — Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa holds some of the world’s richest reserves of transition minerals, from cobalt and copper to lithium and platinum. To prevent the green revolution from becoming just another chapter of exploitation, African leaders and global partners must insist on value creation at home
People’s rights to decide freely about sex, contraception, and parenthood are central to human dignity, economic growth, and gender equality – yet they remain under attack worldwide. Without urgent action to protect and expand these rights, decades of progress risk being undone, with young people bearing the greatest cost
