At the current pace, the Asia-Pacific region is set to
miss a staggering 103 out of 117 measurable Sustainable
Development Goals targets by 2030. The Asia and the
Pacific SDG Progress Report 2026, issued today by the
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (ESCAP), also reveals a picture of deeply
imbalanced development in the region.
Gains in health
and well-being, and poverty reduction these past decades,
are being overshadowed by severe environmental decline and
widening inequalities. Evidence shows setbacks in ensuring
equal access to education (SDG target 4.5) and compliance
with labour rights (SDG target 8.8). Furthermore,
insufficient data on gender equality (SDG 5) and peace,
justice and strong institutions (SDG16), is obscuring
policymakers’ understanding of how effectively the most
vulnerable are being reached.
In critical areas such
as climate action, marine conservation and biodiversity, the
situation is not just stalling but rapidly deteriorating.
For cities and communities, persistent regression, including
damage to critical infrastructure, underscores a dangerous
gap between planning and resilience on the
ground.
“This report reveals a sobering reality. The
very engines of growth that once lifted millions out of
poverty and fuelled rapid industrialization are now
undermining our future,” shared Armida Salsiah
Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. She underscored, “Our
greatest collective challenge is also our greatest
opportunity: to build a region that is not only wealthier
but smarter, healthier and more just.”
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There are
areas of solid progress. The region continues to advance on
industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9) and on good
health and well-being (SDG 3), driven by steady reductions
in maternal and child mortality. Progress in reducing income
poverty and expanding access to electricity are notable
achievements for the region.
Data availability is
improving. Today, 55% of SDG indicators have enough data for
progress assessment, placing Asia and the Pacific ahead of
the rest of the world.
An annual publication, the
Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report uses the
latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where
additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum
for future progress is building.
This year, ESCAP has
also issued a companion analysis paper which places special
emphasis on performance across six transitions: food
systems, energy, digital connectivity, education, welfare
and social protection, and the environment, reflecting the
multifaceted sustainability challenges facing the
Asia-Pacific
region.
