China Surpasses Russia in SDG Progress, Poised to Overtake US
Quick Look
- A UN report indicates China's accelerated SDG progress has surpassed Russia and is on track to overtake the US.
- The gap between China and the US in sustainable development achievements has narrowed significantly since 2015.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all UN member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Owing to its faster pace of SDG progress over the period, China surpassed Russia in 2021, and based on current rates of progress it is on track to surpass the United States in the coming years,” the report said.
From 2015 to 2025, the gap between China and the US in sustainable development achievements closed significantly. The measure is scored out of 100 and the gap between the two is just 0.63 points, according to data in the report.
Produced by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the index showed that in 2015, there was “a considerable degree of distance separating the SDG performance of three of the great powers”. At that baseline, the US ranked 40th while China sat at 63rd.
Ten years later, however, the US had dropped to 45th place and China had risen to 49th. Meanwhile, Russia remained in 51st place over the same period.
The development goals were adopted by all UN member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
China will surpass the United States in sustainable development achievements.
Likely
Open Questions
- Will China continue its SDG progress trajectory?
- What factors contributed to the US's decline in rankings?
