The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global goals established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Each SDG is accompanied by specific targets—169 in total—that outline the specific objectives for achieving each goal. Below is an overview of all the SDGs, followed by a complete list of targets (grouped by SDG) and their corresponding explanations.
SDG 1: No Poverty
Goal: End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
- Targets: 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day. 1.2: Reduce by at least half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty. 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. 1.4: Ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources. 1.5: Build resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations from environmental, economic, and social disasters.
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
Goal: End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.
- Targets: 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all. 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition, including achieving targets on stunting and wasting in children. 2.3: Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers. 2.4: Ensure sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices. 2.5: Maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, and farmed animals.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
Goal: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
- Targets: 3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. 3.3: End epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. 3.4: Reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment. 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. 3.6: Halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. 3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services.
SDG 4: Quality Education
Goal: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Targets: 4.1: Ensure all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education. 4.2: Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development and pre-primary education. 4.3: Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education. 4.4: Increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills for employment. 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to education. 4.6: Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults achieve literacy and numeracy.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
Goal: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Targets: 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work. 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership. 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
Goal: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
- Targets: 6.1: Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water. 6.2: Achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution. 6.4: Increase water-use efficiency and ensure sustainable withdrawals. 6.5: Implement integrated water resources management at all levels. 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Goal: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
- Targets: 7.1: Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services. 7.2: Increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. 7.3: Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. 7.A: Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology. 7.B: Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Goal: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.
- Targets: 8.1: Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances. 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading, and innovation. 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, and entrepreneurship. 8.4: Improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production. 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men. 8.6: Substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training.
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Goal: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation.
- Targets: 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure. 9.2: Promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization. 9.3: Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises to financial services. 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and industries to make them sustainable. 9.5: Enhance scientific research and upgrade technological capabilities of industrial sectors.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequality
Goal: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
- Targets: 10.1: Achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40% of the population at a higher rate than the national average. 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all. 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome. 10.4: Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage, and social protection policies, to achieve greater equality. 10.5: Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Goal: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
- Targets: 11.1: Ensure access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services for all. 11.2: Provide access to safe, affordable, and sustainable transport systems for all. 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for planning. 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. 11.5: Reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters, focusing on protecting vulnerable populations.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Goal: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- Targets: 12.1: Implement the 10-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production. 12.2: Achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. 12.3: Halve global food waste at the retail and consumer levels. 12.4: Achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and waste. 12.5: Substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
SDG 13: Climate Action
Goal: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Targets: 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. 13.3: Improve education, awareness, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation.
SDG 14: Life Below Water
Goal: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
- Targets: 14.1: Reduce marine pollution, particularly from land-based activities. 14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems. 14.3: Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification. 14.4: Regulate harvesting and end overfishing to restore fish stocks.
SDG 15: Life on Land
Goal: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.
- Targets: 15.1: Ensure conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. 15.2: Promote sustainable management of forests. 15.3: Combat desertification and restore degraded land. 15.4: Ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Goal: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development.
- Targets: 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates. 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against children. 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels. 16.4: By 2030, reduce illicit financial and arms flows.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Goal: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.
- Targets: 17.1: Strengthen domestic resource mobilization. 17.2: Promote the development, transfer, and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies. 17.3: Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and coherence.
This list is a summary of the SDG targets. For the full explanation of each target, you can refer to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals website.