SDG Targeted Development in Southeast Asia

In 2016, the United Nations (UN) presented the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a blueprint for a better world by 2030.  The SDGs address challenges such as poverty, inequality and environmental degradation.   However, despite their importance, progress towards achieving these SDGs has been slow, and like much of the rest of the world, Southeast Asia is lagging behind. 

The Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2024, authored by a group of independent experts from the SDG Transformation Center and published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), states that Southeast Asian countries have recently made significant progress on the SDGs thanks to steady economic growth.  However, while progress was made in some areas, there were serious regional setbacks, according to data from the ASEAN Statistics Division (ASEANstats) in 2022.

There have been notable improvements in SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), but there are major regional differences.  Thailand (rank 45), Vietnam (rank 54) and Singapore (rank 65) perform relatively well, while Laos (rank 119) and Myanmar (rank 120) face challenges.

Concerns remain as regards SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).  The number of poor people in the region – which is directly related to SDG 1: No poverty – increased by 27.8% in 2022 compared to 2016.  The unemployment rate, which falls under SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, increased by 5.4% during this period.

According to the SDG Transformation Center, a UN task force tasked with driving progress on the SDGs, only 16% of the goals will be achieved by 2030.  To achieve the SDGs on time, rules, roles and relationships need to be rethought to create new ecosystems of public and private sector organizations.