G7 country profile
United Kingdom
United Kingdom ranks 8th of 169 countries on the 2026 SDG Index. Compare it with Canada or the other G7 members.
- SDG Index score, 2026
- 82.5/ 100
- 8th of 169 countries
- Change since 2015
- +1.5points
- 3rd of 7 in the G7; ranked 9th in 2015
- Goals improving
- 9 of 17
- Decreasing: Goal 1
- International spillovers score
- 54.9/ 100
- 161st of 169; higher means fewer harmful spillovers
United Kingdom on all 17 goals
United Kingdom’s goal scores against the G7 average, 2025
Score out of 100 on the globally comparable indicators.
- United Kingdom
- G7 average
| Goal | Rating and trend |
|---|---|
| 1No poverty | Challenges remain, decreasing |
| 2Zero hunger | Major, stagnating |
| 3Good health and well-being | Significant, moderately improving |
| 4Quality education | Challenges remain, stagnating |
| 5Gender equality | Challenges remain, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 6Clean water and sanitation | Challenges remain, stagnating |
| 7Affordable and clean energy | Significant, moderately improving |
| 8Decent work and economic growth | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 9Industry, innovation and infrastructure | Achieved, moderately improving |
| 10Reduced inequalities | Significant, stagnating |
| 11Sustainable cities and communities | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 12Responsible consumption and production | Major, moderately improving |
| 13Climate action | Major, stagnating |
| 14Life below water | Significant, moderately improving |
| 15Life on land | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 16Peace, justice and strong institutions | Significant, stagnating |
| 17Partnerships for the goals | Major, stagnating |
Rank over time
SDG Index rank, 2015–2025
Position among all ranked countries (1 = best). United Kingdom is the thick line. Rankings use the backdated index, so they can differ from earlier reports.
Every indicator
All indicators for United Kingdom
Filter by rating or trend to find where United Kingdom is doing well and where it is going backwards.
| Goal | Indicator | Value | Year | Green threshold | Rating and trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00/day (%) | 0.02 | 2026 | 2 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 1 | Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20/day (%) | 0.035 | 2026 | 2 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 1 | Poverty rate after taxes and transfers (%) | 12.6 | 2023 | 10 | Significant, decreasing |
| 2 | Prevalence of undernourishment (%) | 2.5 | 2023 | 7.5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 2 | Prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age (%) | 2 | 2019 | 7.5 | Achieved |
| 2 | Prevalence of wasting in children under 5 years of age (%) | 0.4 | 2019 | 5 | Achieved |
| 2 | Minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6-23 months (%) | 90 | 2025 | 70 | Achieved |
| 2 | Prevalence of obesity, BMI ≥ 30 (% of adult population) | 26.8 | 2022 | 10 | Major, decreasing |
| 2 | Human Trophic Level (best 2-3 worst) | 2.41 | 2023 | 2.2 | Major, stagnating |
| 2 | Cereal yield (tonnes per hectare of harvested land) | 7.14 | 2023 | 2.5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 2 | Progress towards productive and sustainable agriculture (worst 1-5 best) | 4 | 2024 | 4.5 | Challenges remain, decreasing |
| 2 | Yield gap closure (% of potential yield) | 69 | 2024 | 75 | Challenges remain |
| 2 | Exports of hazardous pesticides (tonnes per million population) | 17.7 | 2023 | 1 | Challenges remain |
| 3 | Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) | 8.31 | 2023 | 70 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) | 3.04 | 2024 | 12 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 3 | Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) | 4.68 | 2024 | 25 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 3 | Incidence of tuberculosis (per 100,000 population) | 9.7 | 2024 | 10 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | New HIV infections (per 1,000 uninfected population, all ages) | 0 | 2023 | 0.2 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Age-standardized death rate due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease in adults aged 30 to 70 years (%) | 11 | 2021 | 15 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Age-standardized death rate due to air pollution (per 100,000 population) | 32.2 | 2023 | 30 | Challenges remain, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Traffic deaths (per 100,000 population) | 2.4 | 2021 | 8.5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Life expectancy at birth (years) | 81.6 | 2025 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19) | 8.56 | 2022 | 25 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) | – | – | 98 | No data |
| 3 | Surviving infants who received 2 WHO-recommended vaccines (%) | 89 | 2024 | 90 | Challenges remain, decreasing |
| 3 | Universal health coverage (UHC) index of service coverage (worst 0-100 best) | 88 | 2023 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 3 | Subjective well-being (average ladder score, worst 0-10 best) | 6.69 | 2025 | 6 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 3 | Gap in life expectancy at birth among regions (years) | 7.3 | 2021 | 3 | Major, decreasing |
| 3 | Gap in self-reported health status by income (percentage points) | 20.4 | 2019 | 20 | Challenges remain |
| 3 | Daily smokers (% of population aged 15 and over) | 10.5 | 2023 | 18 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 4 | Participation rate in pre-primary organized learning (% of children aged 4 to 6) | 98.6 | 2014 | 90 | Achieved |
| 4 | Net primary enrollment rate (%) | 99.9 | 2023 | 97 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 4 | Lower secondary completion rate (%) | 99.9 | 2023 | 90 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 4 | Literacy rate (% of population aged 15 to 24) | 100 | 2024 | 95 | Achieved |
| 4 | Tertiary educational attainment (% of population aged 25 to 34) | 49.4 | 2019 | 40 | Achieved |
| 4 | PISA score (worst 0-600 best) | 494 | 2022 | 490 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 4 | Variation in mathematics performance explained by socio-economic status (%) | 11 | 2022 | 10.5 | Challenges remain, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 4 | Underachievers in mathematics (% of 15-year-olds) | 24.3 | 2022 | 15 | Significant, decreasing |
| 5 | Demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods (% of females aged 15 to 49) | 86.1 | 2025 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 5 | Ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received (%) | 101 | 2023 | 98 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 5 | Ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rate (%) | 87.4 | 2025 | 70 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 5 | Seats held by women in national parliament (%) | 40.6 | 2026 | 40 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 5 | Gender wage gap (% of male median wage) | 13.1 | 2024 | 8 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 6 | Population using at least basic drinking water services (%) | 100 | 2024 | 98 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 6 | Population using at least basic sanitation services (%) | 99.1 | 2024 | 95 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 6 | Freshwater withdrawal (% of available freshwater resources) | 14.4 | 2023 | 25 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 6 | Anthropogenic wastewater that receives treatment (%) | 85.8 | 2015 | 50 | Achieved |
| 6 | Scarce water consumption embodied in imports (m³ H₂Oeq/capita) | 2,127 | 2024 | 800 | Significant, moderately improving |
| 6 | Population using safely managed water services (%) | 99.8 | 2024 | 95 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 6 | Population using safely managed sanitation services (%) | 97.8 | 2024 | 90 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 7 | Population with access to electricity (%) | 100 | 2023 | 98 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 7 | Population with access to clean fuels and technology for cooking (%) | 100 | 2023 | 85 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 7 | CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion per total electricity output (MtCO₂/TWh) | 1.17 | 2024 | 1 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 7 | Renewable energy share in total final energy consumption (%) | 13.6 | 2022 | 32 | Significant, moderately improving |
| 8 | Adjusted GDP growth index (worst 0-100 best) | 67.9 | 2024 | 75 | Challenges remain |
| 8 | Victims of modern slavery (per 1,000 population) | 1.8 | 2022 | 4 | Achieved |
| 8 | Adults with an account at a bank or other financial institution (% of population aged 15 or over) | 99.3 | 2024 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 8 | Unemployment rate (% of total labor force, ages 15+) | 4.91 | 2026 | 5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 8 | Fundamental labor rights are effectively guaranteed (worst 0-1 best) | 0.693 | 2024 | 0.75 | Challenges remain, stagnating |
| 8 | Youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) (% of population aged 15 to 24) | 10.4 | 2022 | 10 | Challenges remain, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Rural population with access to all-season roads (%) | 99.1 | 2026 | 90 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 9 | Population using the internet (%) | 95.5 | 2024 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Mobile broadband subscriptions (per 100 population) | 129 | 2024 | 75 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Logistics Performance Index: Infrastructure Score (worst 1-5 best) | 3.7 | 2023 | 3 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 9 | Score of top 3 universities in Times Higher Education (worst 0-100 best) | 96.7 | 2026 | 30 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Articles published in academic journals (per 1,000 population) | 3.07 | 2024 | 0.7 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Expenditure on research and development (% of GDP) | 2.68 | 2023 | 1.5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Total patent applications by applicant's origin (per million population) | 792 | 2024 | 300 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 9 | Researchers (per 1,000 employed population) | 9.23 | 2017 | 8 | Achieved |
| 9 | Female share of graduates from STEM fields at the tertiary level (%) | 34.6 | 2023 | 30 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 9 | E-government: Online Services Index (worst 0-1 best) | 0.953 | 2024 | 0.8 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 10 | Gini coefficient | 32.4 | 2021 | 30 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 10 | Palma ratio | 1.57 | 2023 | 1 | Major, decreasing |
| 10 | Elderly poverty rate (% of population aged 66 or over) | 15 | 2023 | 5 | Significant, decreasing |
| 11 | Proportion of urban population living in slums (%) | 0 | 2022 | 5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 11 | Annual mean concentration of PM2.5 (μg/m³) | 8.1 | 2023 | 10 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 11 | Access to improved water source, piped (% of urban population) | 100 | 2024 | 98 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 11 | Population with rent overburden (%) | 18.5 | 2020 | 10 | Significant, decreasing |
| 11 | Urban population with access to points of interest within a 15min walk (%) | 98.8 | 2025 | 90 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 11 | Population with convenient access to public transport in cities (%) | 95.9 | 2020 | 80 | Achieved |
| 12 | Electronic waste that is not recollected (kg/capita) | 17.1 | 2022 | 5 | Major |
| 12 | Production-based air pollution (DALYs per 1,000 population) | 4.38 | 2024 | 2 | Challenges remain, stagnating |
| 12 | Air pollution associated with imports (DALYs per 1,000 population) | 9.43 | 2024 | 2 | Significant, stagnating |
| 12 | Production-based nitrogen emissions (kg/capita) | 30.7 | 2024 | 20 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 12 | Nitrogen emissions associated with imports (kg/capita) | 35 | 2024 | 10 | Major, stagnating |
| 12 | Exports of plastic waste (kg/capita) | 12 | 2020 | 1 | Major |
| 12 | Non-recycled municipal solid waste (kg/capita/day) | 0.679 | 2023 | 0.8 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 13 | CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production (tCO₂/capita) | 4.54 | 2024 | 2 | Major, moderately improving |
| 13 | GHG emissions embodied in imports (tCO₂equiv/capita) | 4.99 | 2024 | 1 | Major, stagnating |
| 13 | CO₂ emissions embodied in fossil fuel exports (tonnes/capita) | 2.12 | 2025 | 0.5 | Challenges remain |
| 13 | The Net Effective Carbon Rate (EUR/tCO₂equiv) | 35.2 | 2023 | 60 | Significant, decreasing |
| 14 | Mean area that is protected in marine sites important to biodiversity (%) | 85.4 | 2025 | 85 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 14 | Ocean Health Index: Clean Waters score (worst 0-100 best) | 70.7 | 2025 | 80 | Significant, stagnating |
| 14 | Fish caught from overexploited or collapsed stocks (% of total catch) | 20.1 | 2018 | 25 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 14 | Fish caught by trawling or dredging (%) | 29.9 | 2019 | 7 | Challenges remain, decreasing |
| 14 | Fish caught that are then discarded (%) | 4.67 | 2019 | 5 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 14 | Marine biodiversity threats embodied in imports (per million population) | 0.215 | 2018 | 0.2 | Challenges remain |
| 15 | Mean area that is protected in terrestrial sites important to biodiversity (%) | 86.8 | 2025 | 85 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 15 | Mean area that is protected in freshwater sites important to biodiversity (%) | 91 | 2025 | 85 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 15 | Red List Index of species survival (worst 0-1 best) | 0.959 | 2025 | 0.9 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 15 | Permanent deforestation (% of forest area, 3-year average) | 0.004 | 2024 | 0.05 | Achieved |
| 15 | Imported deforestation (m²/capita) | 16.1 | 2022 | 10 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 16 | Homicides (per 100,000 population) | 1 | 2020 | 1.5 | Achieved |
| 16 | Crime is effectively controlled (worst 0-1 best) | 0.899 | 2024 | 0.8 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 16 | Unsentenced detainees (% of prison population) | 12.8 | 2022 | 30 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 16 | Birth registrations with civil authority (% of children under age 5) | 100 | 2023 | 98 | Achieved |
| 16 | Corruption Perceptions Index (worst 0-100 best) | 70 | 2025 | 60 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 16 | Children involved in child labor (%) | 0 | 2025 | 2 | Achieved |
| 16 | Exports of major conventional weapons (TIV per 100,000 population) | 1.55 | 2025 | 0.04 | Significant, decreasing |
| 16 | Press Freedom Index (worst 0-100 best) | 79.5 | 2026 | 70 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 16 | Access to and affordability of justice (worst 0-1 best) | 0.531 | 2024 | 0.65 | Significant, decreasing |
| 16 | Timeliness of administrative proceedings (worst 0-1 best) | 0.668 | 2024 | 0.7 | Challenges remain, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 16 | Expropriations are lawful and adequately compensated (worst 0-1 best) | 0.721 | 2024 | 0.7 | Achieved, stagnating |
| 16 | Persons held in prison (per 100,000 population) | 134 | 2022 | 100 | Challenges remain, moderately improving |
| 17 | Government spending on health and education (% of GDP) | 14.9 | 2023 | 10 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 17 | For high-income and all OECD DAC countries: International concessional public finance, including official development assistance (% of GNI) | 0.43 | 2025 | 0.7 | Significant, decreasing |
| 17 | Other countries: Government revenue excluding grants (% of GDP) | – | – | 30 | No data |
| 17 | Corporate Tax Haven Score (best 0-100 worst) | 86.3 | 2025 | 60 | Major, stagnating |
| 17 | Financial Secrecy Score (best 0-100 worst) | 69.5 | 2025 | 45 | Major, stagnating |
| 17 | Shifted profits of multinationals (US$ billion) | 89.2 | 2022 | 1 | Major, decreasing |
| 17 | Statistical Performance Index (worst 0-100 best) | 88.4 | 2024 | 80 | Achieved, on track or maintaining achievement |
| 17 | Index of countries' support to UN-based multilateralism (worst 0-100 best) | 54.9 | 2026 | 75 | Significant |