Welcome to the sixth edition of SDGSustainable Development Goal Pulse – UNCTAD’s annual statistical publication tracking developments related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development -—
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—- and the SDGsSustainable Development Goal. As we pass the half-way mark of the 2030 Agenda, concerns about achieving sustainable development for all are mounting. Economic and social distress, particularly for those most in need, is exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, and in Gaza, leading to longer and more expensive trade routes, increased hunger and food insecurityFood insecurity is a situation where an individual cannot reliably access or afford healthy food. The FAO describes a moderately food insecure person as someone who cannot afford a healthy diet. has experienced uncertainty about the ability to access food and is likely to skip meals occasionally because of lack of resources. A severely food insecure person has at times run out of food and has during the last year gone a whole day without food. For SDG indicator 2.1.2, food insecurity is estimated based on survey data using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale developed by FAO. It consists of eight questions pertaining to whether the respondents or their families have reduced the quantity or quality of consumed food over the last 12 months because of lack of resources. -—
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—-, and rising CO2Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colourless, odourless and non-poisonous gas formed by combustion of carbon and in the respiration of living organisms -—
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—-. emissions, impacting developing countries’ ability to meet the SDGs, and the need for reliable information becomes even more critical.
This report serves three main purposes: firstly, to provide an update on the evolution of selected official SDG indicators and complementary data and statistics; secondly, to report on progress in developing new concepts and methodologies for SDG indicators for which UNCTAD serves as a global custodian; and, thirdly, to showcase UNCTAD’s support to member States in implementing the 2030 Agenda. Building on the previous edition, SDG Pulse continues to track progress according to four transformations identified at UNCTAD’s intergovernmental meeting in Bridgetown -—
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The report also delves into thematic issues relevant to the 2030 Agenda. This year’s In Focus topic explores gender equality in trade. Despite global advancements, gender inequality persists, affecting women's lives through economic participation, education, health, and political empowerment worldwide. UNCTAD's new gender equality in trade indicator set helps illuminate gender gaps in trade to inform effective policy actions and accelerate just and equal development.
The report is arranged in a way that it can be read by theme, and by goal and indicator. In 2024, the online report will also be accompanied by an overview report to provide the key highlights of SDG Pulse.
In the thematic view, the data and analysis are organized according to the four themes outlined by the Bridgetown Covenant -—
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—-. These include multilateralism and trade, development finance, diversification, and sustainability and resilience. UNCTAD's work contributes significantly to these themes and progress across a broad spectrum of related SDG indicators. Through this thematic lens, the report discusses recent trends in trade, including barriers to trade and efforts to enhance food security through trade. It also covers financial resource mobilization, South-South cooperationBroad framework of collaboration among countries of the Global South in the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and technical domains. It includes trade, FDI, regional integration efforts, technology transfers, sharing of solutions and experts, and other forms. Involving two or more developing countries, it can take place on a bilateral, regional, intraregional or interregional basis -—
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—-., investment, debt sustainabilityA country’s capacity to finance its policy objectives through debt instruments and service the ensuing debt -—
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—-., and illicit financial flows. The theme of diversification discusses sustainable industrialization, transport resilienceThe ability of a system, community or society exposed to hazards to resist, absorb, accommodate, adapt to, transform and recover from the effects of a hazard in a timely and efficient manner, including through the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions through risk management -—
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—-., digitalization, and productive capacitiesUNCTAD defines productive capacities as consisting of the productive resources, entrepreneurial capabilities and production linkages that together determine a country’s ability to produce goods and services that will help it grow and develop -—
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—-. Furthermore, environmental sustainability, risks, and vulnerabilities, including sustainable trade practices are at the core of the sustainability and resilience theme.
In the goals-and-indicators view, the content is organized according to SDGs and their related indicators. These are selected to align with UNCTAD’s broad mandate in trade and development, investment, finance, and technology. The SDG indicators presented in this report are supplemented with additional data and official statistics to provide a comprehensive understanding of development. The SDG indicators presented in this report are:
- Indicator 1.5.1: Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population.
- Indicator 1.5.2: Direct economic lossDirect economic loss is the monetary value of total or partial destruction of physical assets existing in the affected area. Direct economic loss is nearly equivalent to physical damage -—
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—-. attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic productGross domestic product (GDP) is an aggregate measure of production, income and expenditure of an economy. As a production measure, it represents the gross value added, i.e., the output net of intermediate consumption, achieved by all resident units engaged in production, plus any taxes less subsidies on products not included in the value of output. As an income measure, it represents the sum of primary incomes (gross wages and entrepreneurial income) distributed by resident producers, plus taxes less subsidies on production and imports. As an expenditure measure, it depicts the sum of expenditure on final consumption, gross capital formation (i.e., investment, changes in inventories, and acquisitions less disposals of valuables) and exports after deduction of imports -—
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—-. (GDPGross domestic product (GDP) is an aggregate measure of production, income and expenditure of an economy. As a production measure, it represents the gross value added, i.e., the output net of intermediate consumption, achieved by all resident units engaged in production, plus any taxes less subsidies on products not included in the value of output. As an income measure, it represents the sum of primary incomes (gross wages and entrepreneurial income) distributed by resident producers, plus taxes less subsidies on production and imports. As an expenditure measure, it depicts the sum of expenditure on final consumption, gross capital formation (i.e., investment, changes in inventories, and acquisitions less disposals of valuables) and exports after deduction of imports -—
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—-.).
- Indicator 2.1.1: Prevalence of undernourishmentFor the purposes of SDG Indicator 2.1.1, undernourishment is defined as a dietary energy intake that is below what is needed to retain a minimum acceptable BMI at low physical activity. The prevalence of undernourishment in a population is estimated based on mean and variation of consumption in calories in that population -—
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—-.. - Indicator 2.1.2: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).
- Indicator 2.b.1: Agricultural export subsidiesExport subsidies refer to the granting of support by governments to some beneficiary entity or entities to achieve export objectives. Export subsidiesmay involve direct payments to a firm, industry, producers of a certain agricultural product etc. to achieve some type of export performance. In addition, export subsidies may include low-cost export loans, rebates on imported raw materials and tax benefits such as duty-free imports of raw material. They can also take the form of government financed marketing. Most subsidies have existed in agriculture -—
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—-.. - Indicator 2.c.1: Indicator of (food) price anomalies.
Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth
- Indicator 8.a.1 Aid for Trade commitmentsAid for Trade commitment is a firm obligation, expressed in writing and backed by the necessary funds, undertaken by an official donor to provide specified assistance to a recipient country or a multilateral organisation -—
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—-. and disbursements.
Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Indicator 9.1.2: Passenger and freight volumes, by mode of transport.*
- Indicator 9.2.1: Manufacturing value addedManufacturing value added (MVA) is the net-output of all resident manufacturing activity units. It is obtained by adding up their outputs and subtracting intermediate inputs -—
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—-. Manufacturing can broadly be understood as "the physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products" -—
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—-, consisting of sector C in the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC) revision 4 -—
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—-. as a proportion of GDP and per capita. - Indicator 9.2.2: Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment.
- Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emissionEmission is the discharge of pollutants into the atmosphere from stationary sources such as smokestacks, other vents, surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities and mobile sources, for example, motor vehicles, locomotives and aircraft -—
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—-. per unit of value added. - Indicator 9.5.1: Research and developmentResearch and development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge – including knowledge of humankind, culture and society – and to devise new applications of available knowledge -—
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—-. expenditure as a proportion of GDP. - Indicator 9.5.2: Researchers (in full-time equivalent) per million inhabitants
- Indicator 9.b.1: Proportion of medium and high-tech industryMedium and high-tech industry is an industry in which producers of goods incur relatively high expenditure on research and development (R&D) per unit of output. The distinction between low, medium, and high-tech industries is based on R&D intensity, i.e. the ratio of R&D expenditure to an output measure, usually gross value added. For a list of the particular economic activities, considered to be medium and high-tech -—
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—-. value added in total value added. - Indicator 9.c.1: Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology.
- Indicator 10.a.1: Proportion of tariff linesA single item in a country’s tariff schedule -—
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—-. applied to imports from LDCsLeast developed country and developing countries with zero-tariff*. - Indicator 10.b.1: Total resource flowsIn the context of the IAEG-SDG, these flows quantify the overall expenditures that donors provide to developing countries, including official and private flows, both concessional and non-concessional. Specifically, they include ODA, OOFs and private flows -—
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—-. for development, by recipient and donor countries and type of flow.
Goal 12: Responsible consumption & production
- Indicator 12.5.1: National recycling rateNational recycling rate is defined as the quantity of material recycled in the country plus quantities exported for recycling minus material imported intended for recycling out of total waste generated in the country. Note that recycling includes codigestion/anaerobic digestion and composting/aerobic process, but not controlled combustion (incineration) or land application. 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 = (𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑑 + 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 − 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔) × 100 / 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 -—
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—-., tons of material recycled. - Indicator 12.6.1: Number of companies publishing sustainability reports*.
Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
- Indicator 16.4.1: Total value of inward and outward illicit financial flows*.
Goal 17: Partnership for the goals
- Indicator 17.2.1: Net official development assistanceOfficial Development Assistance (ODA) are resource flows to countries and territories which are: (a) undertaken by the official sector; (b) with promotion of economic development and welfare as the main objective; (c) at concessional financial terms (implying a minimum grant element depending on the recipient country and the type of loan). In addition to financial flows, technical co-operation is also included -—
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—-., total and to LDCs. - Indicator 17.3.1: Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources*.
- Indicator 17.4.1: Debt servicePayments made to satisfy a debt obligation, including principal, interest and any late payment fees -—
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—-. as a share of exports of goods and services. - Indicator 17.5.1: Implement investment promotion regimes for LDCs*.
- Indicator 17.6.1: Fixed Internet broadbandA general term meaning a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device. In data communications, this refers to a data transmission rate of at least 256 kbit/s. In the context of Internet, this can be delivered via fixed (wired) or mobile networks -—
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—-. subscriptions. - Indicator 17.10.1: Worldwide weighted tariff-averageWeighted average of tariffs applied to imports of goods in HS chapter 01-97. The tariffs are weighted by the value of the imported goods to which they are applied. It is expressed as percentage of the value of goods imported. The average level of customs tariff rates applied worldwide can be used as an indicator of the degree of success achieved by multilateral negotiations and regional trade agreements. See metadata for indicator 17.10.1 -—
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—-.*. - Indicator 17.11.1 Developing countries and LDCs' share of global exports*.
- Indicator 17.12.1: TariffsTariffs “are customs duties on merchandise imports, levied either on an ad valorem basis (percentage of value) or on a specific basis (e.g. $7 per 100 kg). Tariffs can be used to create a price advantage for similar locally produced goods and for raising government revenues. Trade remedy measures and taxes are not considered to be tariffs.” -—
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—- faced by developing countries, LDCs and SIDSSmall island developing states (SIDS) were recognized as a distinct group of developing countries at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. More information on UNCTAD official page.*.
This includes all indicators for which UNCTAD serves as a custodian or co-custodian. These indicators fall under goals 9, 10, 12, 16 and 17, encompassing topics such as trade, tariffs, development finance and South-South cooperation, debt, investment, illicit financial flows, maritime transport, and enterprise sustainability.
Custodian agencies of SDG indicators, including UNCTAD, are responsible for developing international standards and recommending methodologies for measuring SDG indicators. They are also tasked with compiling and verifying country data and metadata, and for submitting the data, alongside regional and global aggregates, to the Global SDG Indicator Database and Report, updated by the United Nations Statistics Division. The custodian agencies’ role is to enhance the accuracy and consistency of SDG reporting worldwide to facilitate informed decision-making towards strengthening SDG achievement by 2030.
To see UNCTAD custodian indicators and find related SDG Pulse sections, click on the graph.
UNCTAD operates an extensive capacity development programme to support progress towards the 2030 Agenda. This report showcases case studies from UNCTAD’s development programme through a statistical lens, presenting UNCTAD’s activities and achievements in hard numbers. These case studies are pivotal as they exemplify the Results Based Management approach, adopted by UNCTAD, to improve our responsiveness and accountability to member States. In 2024, these case studies provide new insights into UNCTAD’s activities in supporting measurement of South-South cooperation (SDG indicator 17.3.1) and illicit financial flows (SDG indicator 16.4.1), actively promoting ICTInformation and communications technology (ICT) is a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information. These resources include computers, the Internet, live broadcasting technologies, recorded broadcasting technologies and telephony -—
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—-. as a tool for development, and supporting enterprise sustainability reportingSustainability report is a document published by an entity describing the economic, social, environmental impacts caused by its activities; it is composed of a certain number of disclosures along the main pillars of sustainable development -—
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—-. (SDG indicator 12.6.1).
Each year, the SDG Pulse focuses on a specific aspect of the 2030 Agenda, examining it through the lens of statistics. Following the UNCTAD ministerial meeting in Bridgetown -—
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—-, policymakers emphasized the need to move beyond integrating a gender perspective and actively promoting the inclusion and empowerment of women and youth. Gender-disaggregated data was underscored as crucial for evidence-based policy-making. This SDG Pulse In Focus illustrates UNCTAD’s commitment to this agenda, including the launch of the first ever set of gender equality in trade indicators.
The study utilizes indicators derived from international databases, such as employment and earnings by sex in tradable sectors, trade-intensive and trade-dependent industries. For the first time, it provides insights into international trade from a gender perspective by country and globally.
This year’s study reveals several key findings. It identifies opportunities for developing economies in Africa, Asia and Oceania to grow their service sectors, thereby expanding women’s economic contributions. It also notes that high-skilled female workers face less gender inequalities. In 2023, UNCTAD and UN WomenUN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women (UN Women). calculated that an additional $360 billion per year is needed for 48 developing countries (included in the study) to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. To effectively inform policy actions, further country-specific analyses are needed to understand the unique drivers and barriers affecting women’s participation in trade in high value-added sectors. To this end, UNCTAD carried out pilot testing of data linking in six countries jointly with the Economic Commissions for Africa and Europe, and released Compilation Guidelines that enable such linking in all interested countries. Since 2015, over 2 200 people have been trained through UNCTAD’s e-learning courses on trade and gender.
Data and classifications
All data used in maps and charts can be downloaded by clicking on the top right of each data visualization.
Disclaimer
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this web site do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas). The final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. The final status of the following territories has not yet been agreed or determined: Abyei area, Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, Bi’r Tawil, Hala’ib Triangle, Ilemi Triangle, Jammu and Kashmir, Kuril Islands, Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal, Senkaku Islands, Spratly Islands.
The designations “developing” and “developed” are intended for statistical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgement about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process. UNCTAD’s grouping of developing and developed economies is based on the former development status classification of the M49 standard, with some recent updates. For more details, see the UNCTADstat classification page.
Acknowledgements
SDG Pulse was developed by the UNCTAD Statistics Service, led by Anu Peltola, Director. The following staff of the Service prepared the statistics, analysis and design: Sana Al-Jadir, Nour Barnat, David Bicchetti, Sonia Blachier, Alexander Blackburn, Sanja Blazevic, Diana Camerini, Yoann Chaine, Richard Chalverat, Ekaterina Chernova, Flavine Creppy, David Cristallo, Denis Gervalle, Victoria Goudeva, Daniel Hopp, Petra Kynclova, Ildephonse Mbabazizimana, Bojan Nastav, Mariyam Raziyeva, Amandine Rushenguziminega, Benny Salo, and Anton Sudzik.
The following UNCTAD experts contributed to the drafting of the report with statistics and analysis across divisions: Regina Asariotis, Mark Assaf, Hassiba Benamara, Omar Benyamina, Rachid Bouhia, Dominique Chantrel, Mathilde Closset, Claudia Contreras, Amelie Cournoyer, Deane De Menezes, Yihong Gong, Robert Hamwey, Penelope Hawkins, Jan Hoffmann, Daniel Ker, Tomasz Kulaga, Maxime Ladriere, Smita lakhe, Aurélie Legrand, Mariangela Linoci, Daniela Magalhaes Prates, Massimo Meloni, Samuel Munyaneza, Ngoc Nguyen, Alessandro Nicita, Valeriu Nitoi, Luisa Rodriguez, Henrique Silva Pacini Costa, Gerry Teeling, Lorenzo Tosini, Arlette Verploegh Chabot, David Jose Vivas Eugui, Frida Youssef and Yan Zhang.
In addition, external experts from National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Statistics Finland, Georgia National Statistics Office, UNDRRUnited Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and UNODCUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provided crucial support in drafting the report.
Notes
- * Indicator for which UNCTAD is a custodian or co-custodian agency.
References
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