The Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE) has released the latest update of the Indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presenting a detailed analysis of the evolution of 183 national indicators since 2015. This publication marks the assessment of the first decade of implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and evaluates Portugal’s performance against global targets.
Coverage and Methodology
Of the 248 indicators globally defined by the United Nations, Portugal currently covers approximately 73.8% with available data. The evaluation follows the methodology used by Eurostat and considers the individual progress of each indicator against the goal and target to which it is linked. Overall, 52% of the analysed indicators showed positive progress, with 12% meeting the established targets. However, 24% showed negative trends and 21% could not be assessed.
Areas of Positive Progress
The best-performing indicators are mainly related to education, health, poverty eradication and sustainable consumption. SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) stand out with several indicators aligned with their respective targets. There are also positive developments in aspects such as life expectancy, vaccination coverage, and educational attainment, although with variations across gender and regions.
Challenges Identified
Conversely, SDGs 4, 5, 12, 14, 15 and 16 have fewer than 50% of indicators showing positive progress, partly due to a lack of assessable data. Persistent challenges are also noted in decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), infrastructure and innovation (SDG 9), and climate action (SDG 13), with indicators still far from the defined environmental targets.
Relevance for Businesses and Regions
The publication reinforces the crucial role of the business sector in achieving the 2030 Agenda, calling for strategic alignment with the SDGs. The involvement of local authorities in integrating these goals into public policies is also highlighted as essential for effective and localised implementation.
Commitment to Monitoring
This update reflects INE‘s commitment to statistical transparency and the provision of tools to support decision-making. Regular updates of these indicators will be essential to track progress through to 2030.
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