What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their full list of 169 targets?
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Executive summary
The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the apex framework of the 2030 Agenda, adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity [1] [2]. The goals sit above a formally adopted set of 169 targets — the specific, time-bound objectives that translate ambition into measurable action — published in the UN 2030 Agenda and related UN target documents [3] [1].
1. What the 17 goals are — the headlines that guide the agenda
The 17 goals are: 1) No Poverty; 2) Zero Hunger; 3) Good Health and Well‑being; 4) Quality Education; 5) Gender Equality; 6) Clean Water and Sanitation; 7) Affordable and Clean Energy; 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 10) Reduced Inequalities; 11) Sustainable Cities and Communities; 12) Responsible Consumption and Production; 13) Climate Action; 14) Life Below Water; 15) Life On Land; 16) Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; and 17) Partnerships for the Goals — the political framing published in the UN 2030 Agenda and the official SDG portal [1] [2].
2. The 169 targets — where the detailed commitments live
The 169 targets sit beneath those 17 goals and make the agenda operational: they are the specific outcomes countries agreed to pursue (for many, by 2030) and include means‑of‑implementation targets, especially under Goal 17 [1] [3]. The targets and the subsequent set of global indicators were formalized in UN resolutions and companion documents; the UN’s SDG pages and the official 2030 Agenda text present this full catalogue [1] [2]. The World Health Organization and other UN agencies also summarize the targets linked to sectoral objectives such as health (SDG 3) [4].
3. How the targets are structured and used in practice
Targets are aspirational but precise: they translate each goal into measurable, time‑bound sub‑objectives (for example, reducing poverty rates, universal access to basic services, specific emissions reductions or biodiversity protections) and are monitored by a set of 232 global indicators agreed subsequently [3] [1]. Countries adapt global targets into national targets and report through Voluntary National Reviews and UN statistical systems; implementation relies on data systems, finance, technology transfer and capacity building — elements emphasized in the Agenda and Goal 17’s means‑of‑implementation targets [1] [5].
4. Debate and limitations documented in reporting
Critics have argued that 169 targets are unwieldy and dilute political focus compared with the Millennium Development Goals, a critique aired prominently in outlets such as The Economist and reflected in academic and policy debates [3]. Reporting also highlights persistent gaps: many countries struggle with data, finance and leaving behind disadvantaged groups (people with disabilities, women and girls, refugees) — patterns visible in Voluntary National Reviews and UN analyses [3] [6]. The Agenda itself stresses integration, universality and that some targets have no fixed end date [1] [3].
5. Where to read the full, official list of 169 targets
The authoritative source for the full text of all 169 targets is the UN 2030 Agenda (“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”) and the UN SDG portal, which publish the goals with their associated targets and link to indicator frameworks and country reporting [1] [2]. Educational and NGO summaries reproduce the full target lists for easier reference, and sectoral UN pages (WHO, UNDESA, UNDP) map the targets to agency priorities and indicators [4] [7] [6].