GOOOOOOAL

Team Up for People and Planet

Call it football, call it soccer, the World Cup is here. No matter which team you are on, the ‘beautiful game’ unites and ignites the entire world.

We are 8 billion people, but just one team. On the side of every last one of us thriving on a healthy planet.

The Squad

Goals win matches—and futures. Team SDGs United pledges to unite the world around the Global Goals.

No Poverty

‘In 2000, 2.2 billion people lived in extreme poverty. That number has halved in 2 decades.’
Since 2015, and despite the pandemic, the number of people classed as working poor has decreased by 20 million.
For the first time, over half of the world’s population, 52.4%, was covered by at least one social protection benefit in 2023, up from 42.8% in 2015.

Zero Hunger

Global hunger and food insecurity have declined in recent years but remain above levels recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of undernourished people has dropped by almost half in the past two decades because of rapid economic growth and increased agricultural productivity.
In 2024, an estimated 8.2% of the global population faced hunger and about 28%, nearly 2.3 billion, were moderately or severely food insecure.

Good Health and Well-being

Between 2015 and 2023, progress in health care meant that more mothers survived childbirth, and more children lived past their fifth birthday: maternal mortality fell from 228 to 197 per 100,000 live births, and the under-5 mortality rate dropped from 43 to 37 per 1,000 live births.

Quality Education

The world has achieved enormous progress towards universal primary education. Enrolment has reached 90%, and the number of children out of school has dropped by almost 40% since 2000.
The percentage of young people completing upper secondary school increased from 53% in 2015 to 60% in 2024.
There has been a steady narrowing of gender gaps in education.

Gender Equality

Women now hold 27% of parliamentary seats, up from 22% in 2015, as well as 35% of local government positions.
While child marriage has declined overall since 2000, largely due to progress in southern Asia, it remains widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.

Clean Water and Sanitation

Between 2015 and 2024, access to essential water and sanitation increased from 48% to 58%, and basic hygiene coverage grew from 66% to 80%.

Affordable and Clean Energy

The world has made considerable progress towards global electricity access, reaching 92% in 2023, up from 84% in 2010.
Renewables are the world’s fastest-growing energy source, projected to surpass coal in 2025.

Decent Work and Economic Growth

While the global unemployment rate fell to a record low of 5% in 2024, nearly 58% of workers remained informally employed, with persistently high rates in the developing world.

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Notable progress has been made in expanding infrastructure, fostering industrial growth and boosting innovation. Global manufacturing value added per capita grew 17.3% from 2015 to 2024.

Reduced Inequalities

‘Since 2015, most countries have seen income and consumption growth for the bottom 40% of their population outpace the national average.’
Over half the world now has 5G mobile broadband.

Sustainable Cities and Communities

Half the world’s population live in cities, and the proportion is projected to increase to 70% by 2050.

Responsible Consumption and Production

Negotiations are currently under way to conclude a Global Plastics Treaty, a legally binding instrument seeking to end plastic pollution by addressing the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Climate Action

Fossil fuel subsidies fell to an estimated $1.10 trillion in 2023, down by 34.5% from a record high of $1.68 trillion in 2022. Sub-Saharan Africa led with a 67% decline, followed by north Africa and Western Asia at 46%.
Investments in reducing risk are effective. Between 2014 and 2023, disaster-related mortality nearly fell to 0.79 per 100,000 people, down from 1.61 in the previous decade.

Life Below Water

Marine and coastal resources and industries contribute US$3 trillion to the global economy each year.
More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

Life on Land

Deforestation is slowing, with the rate falling from 12 million hectares per year between 2010 and 2015 to 10 million hectares per year in the following decade.
Brazil reduced Amazon deforestation by 50% in 2023 compared with 2022.

Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Since 2015, the number of countries with national human rights institutions meeting UN standards for effectiveness has risen from 70 to 89. They now cover 55% of the world’s population.

Partnerships for the Goals

Renewed international cooperation is needed to bridge the SDG funding gap, foster innovative financing and reduce the burden of debt on poor countries.
There is an estimated $4 trillion annual financing gap for achieving the SDGs in developing regions.

Know more about our initiatives and be a game changer by taking action and leading your community for a better planet.