2026 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Performance Index Results
The 2026 SDG performance index results are more than just a snapshot of the global ranking. They also reveal the common characteristics of the top-performing countries and the dynamics of change since 2016. The stakes go beyond the hierarchy, as the goal is to understand the development trajectories by 2030.
Top-Performing Countries
Not surprisingly, the top of the ranking is still largely dominated by European countries and OECD members. The top 10 countries are:
- Finland (1st with a score of 87.40)
- Sweden (2nd with a score of 86.26)
- Denmark (3rd with a score of 85.68)
- Norway (4th with a score of 84.08)
- Germany (5th with a score of 84.02)
- Austria (6th with a score of 83.95)
- France (7th with a score of 83.43)
- United Kingdom (8th with a score of 82.45)
- Iceland (9th with a score of 82.32)
- Czech Republic (10th with a score of 82.21)
Regional Disparities
The regional disparities confirm this reading, with OECD countries showing an average score of 89.2, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Asia (76.7), and then Sub-Saharan Africa (63.4). From one level to another, the gaps outline an uneven progression of sustainable development, marked by very different institutional and economic capacities.
European Dominance
To be honest, the ranking continues with a marked European dominance until the 19th place (occupied by the Netherlands). The first non-European country to appear in this list is Japan, ranked 20th. These scores represent the global percentage of completion of the 17 SDGs, where a score of 100 would mean that all objectives have been achieved.
