Welcome to the seventh 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 Goals. As we enter the last five years of the 2030 Agenda, concerns about achieving sustainable development for all are severely mounting. Economic and social distress, particularly for those most in need, is exacerbated by tariff escalationHigher tariffs on processed goods than raw materials from which they are produced., wars, climate disruptions, energy insecurity and fragile supply chains impacting developing countries’ ability to meet the SDGs. UNCTAD Secretary-General’s report ahead of 16th session of the Conference urges for development to progress against the odds -—
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—-. During this process, 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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—-: multilateralism and trade, development finance, diversification, and sustainability and resilience.
The report also delves into thematic issues relevant to the 2030 Agenda. This year’s In-Focus topic explores critical minerals. UNCTAD defines critical minerals not only by their global importance and supply risks but by their relevance for trade and development, reflecting the priorities of developing economies. Trade in critical minerals shapes energy transition, digital transformation, and industrial development worldwide. As such, UNCTAD’s new preliminary list of critical minerals enables the analysis of global trade in minerals and supports SDG-aligned national strategies.
The report is arranged in a way that it can be read by theme, and by goal and indicator. In 2025, the online report will also be accompanied by a PDF publication 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 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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—-.. 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 how trade remains a powerful enabler of sustainable development. 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 -—
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—-. SSC involves diverse domains in the global South, both financial (e.g., grants and concessional loans) and non-financial (training, technical cooperation, humanitarian assistance) modalities and is guided by principles such as horizontality, solidarity, respect for sovereignty, country ownership, complementarity, mutual benefit, equity, transparency, and accountability -—
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—-. Data on related issues like trade and FDI among the global South are also provided by UNCTAD., 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 structural transformationStructural transformation or change can be broadly defined as the reallocation of economic activity across three broad sectors, agriculture, manufacturing and services, which accompanies the process of economic growth -—
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—-. It usually refers to the transfer or shift of production factors — especially labour, capital and land — away from activities and sectors with low productivity to those with higher productivity, which are typically different in location, organization and technology -—
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—-. in mitigating the technology gap and the role of digital technologies for diversification. Furthermore, uncertainties and disruptions in maritime transport and emissions 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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—-.).
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: 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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—-. 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.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 countries and developing countries with zero-tariff*.
Goal 12: Responsible consumption & production
- 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 proportion of exports of goods and services. - Indicator 17.5.1: Implement investment promotion regimes for LDCs*.
- 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 least developed countries’ share of global exports*.
- Indicator 17.12.1: Average 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 the indicators for which UNCTAD serves as a custodian or co-custodian. SDG indicators under (co)custodianship of UNCTAD 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.
See UNCTAD custodian indicators in the graph below.
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.
Each year, the SDG Pulse focuses on a specific aspect of the 2030 Agenda, examining it through the lens of statistics. The global shift toward a low-carbon economy has intensified the demand for critical minerals, placing resource-rich developing countries at the center of a new geopolitical and economic landscape. In this context, UNCTAD plays a pivotal role from the development perspective by promoting fair, inclusive, and sustainable trade in critical minerals, particularly through its co-leadership of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. The Panel focuses on critical energy transition minerals and how to resource the energy transition towards equity and justice.
The study showcases UNCTAD’s new data and a preliminary list of critical minerals and highlights that trade in critical minerals is highly regionally specialized with top minerals producers not always the top exporters, and that trade in critical minerals is under the influence of export restrictions; as well as at high risk of illicit financial flows.
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 in this website 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. The term “country” as used in this material also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas.
The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on the maps on this site do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
Read the full disclaimer for maps.
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.
In addition, external experts from 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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