Sustainable Development Goal 17
"Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development"
Linkage with other SDGs
Strengthening partnerships among governments, private sectors, civil society, and international organisations is essential to achieving sustainable development. SDG 17 enables progress across all other goals by fostering collaboration, mobilising resources, and promoting knowledge sharing.
The following direct and indirect interlinkages exist between SDG 17 and all other SDGs:
SDG 1 - No Poverty: International aid, financial assistance, and capacity-building initiatives enable low-income countries to implement poverty reduction programs. Partnerships mobilise resources to support vulnerable populations. Example: The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) provides financial support to the poorest nations to address poverty and improve infrastructure.
SDG 2 - Zero Hunger: Collaborative efforts between nations and organisations improve agricultural systems, food distribution networks, and nutritional programs, addressing hunger globally. Example: The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) facilitates partnerships to enhance agricultural productivity and food security in developing countries.
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being: Global partnerships enable the sharing of healthcare technologies, vaccines, and expertise to combat diseases and improve health systems. Example: The COVAX initiative ensures equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for low-income countries, preventing health disparities.
SDG 4 - Quality Education: Collaborative funding and knowledge exchange support the development of education systems, infrastructure, and digital tools, particularly in underserved regions. Example: The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) connects governments and NGOs to improve access to quality education in low-income countries.
SDG 5 - Gender Equality: International partnerships support gender equality initiatives by providing resources for women’s empowerment programs, legislative reforms, and advocacy campaigns. Example: UN Women collaborates with governments and private organisations to promote gender equity worldwide.
SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation: Partnerships enhance water management systems, infrastructure projects, and sanitation services, particularly in regions facing water scarcity. Example: The African Water Facility mobilises resources to improve access to clean water across the continent.
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy: Partnerships drive investments in renewable energy infrastructure and technology, expanding access to clean energy globally. Example: The International Solar Alliance promotes collaboration among nations to deploy solar energy solutions in developing countries.
SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth: Trade agreements and financial partnerships foster inclusive economic growth, creating jobs and reducing unemployment worldwide. Example: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports entrepreneurship and employment opportunities in developing regions.
SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: Collaborative investments in resilient infrastructure, research, and innovation enhance economic productivity and connectivity across borders. Example: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) funds infrastructure projects that promote sustainable development in Asia.
SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities: Partnerships address global inequalities by promoting fair trade, equitable access to resources, and capacity-building in underserved regions. Example: Fairtrade International connects producers in developing countries with global markets to ensure equitable benefits.
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities: Urban development partnerships fund affordable housing, smart city infrastructure, and sustainable urban planning initiatives. Example: The Cities Alliance initiative supports inclusive urban development in low-income countries.
SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production: Global partnerships promote circular economies, resource efficiency, and sustainable production practices. Example: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation collaborates with businesses and governments to implement circular economy principles globally.
SDG 13 - Climate Action: Climate agreements like the Paris Accord demonstrate how partnerships are essential for coordinated climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Example: The Green Climate Fund finances climate-resilience projects in vulnerable countries, fostering collaboration and resource-sharing.
SDG 14 - Life Below Water: Regional and international partnerships protect marine ecosystems through collaborative research, policy enforcement, and funding. Example: The Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports transboundary initiatives to reduce ocean pollution and conserve marine biodiversity.
SDG 15 - Life on Land: Partnerships enable conservation projects, reforestation initiatives, and combat deforestation through joint funding and knowledge sharing. Example: The REDD+ initiative brings governments together to reduce emissions from deforestation and support forest conservation.
SDG 16 - Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions: Collaborative efforts strengthen institutions, promote justice, and resolve conflicts globally. International partnerships fund peace-building efforts and governance reforms. Example: The United Nations Peace-Building Fund supports post-conflict reconstruction and institution-building in fragile states.
Consquence of failing to reach targets
The consequences of weak global partnerships affect progress across all other SDGs:
- Poverty reduction (SDG 1) stagnates as funding gaps hinder development programs.
- Hunger (SDG 2) persists due to insufficient global coordination in food distribution and agricultural support.
- Inequalities (SDG 10) deepen as underserved regions lack access to trade, technology, and expertise.
- Climate action (SDG 13) weakens as countries fail to collaborate on reducing emissions and adapting to environmental changes.
SDG 17 is the backbone of sustainable development, emphasising that global cooperation is vital for addressing shared challenges and achieving progress across all dimensions of development.
SDG 17: Targets, Indicators, Progress and Data
Strengthen domestic resource mobilisation, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection.
17.1.1: Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source.
17.1.2: Proportion of domestic budget funded by domestic taxes.
2022 data from approximately 130 countries show that globally, government revenue accounts for approximately 33% of GDP. The average overall tax burden or revenue in the form of taxes is 26% of GDP among advanced economies and 18% of GDP among emerging market and developing economies. In 2019, the overall average of proportion government expenditure funded by taxes was about 66% among advanced economies and 61% among emerging market and developing economies. The overall average sharply declined following the pandemic to about 52% in 2020 but rebounded in 2021 and 2022 for both groups of economies (to 62% for advanced economies and 59% for emerging and developing countries), however, still lower than the pre-pandemic level.
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries.
17.2.1: Net official development assistance, total and to least developed countries, as a proportion of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee donors’ gross national income (GNI).
In 2023, ODA by member countries of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) amounted to $223.7 billion, representing 0.37% of DAC members’ combined GNI. Total ODA in 2023 rose by 1.8% in real terms compared to 2022 and by 47% compared to 2015. This was the fifth consecutive year ODA reached a new high. The increase was primarily due to aid for Ukraine, humanitarian aid and contributions to international organisations.
Mobilise additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.
17.3.1: Additional financial resources mobilised for developing countries from multiple sources.
17.3.2: Volume of remittances (in United States dollars) as a proportion of total GDP.
- In 2022, financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources reported by 101 bilateral and multilateral providers amounted to $276.6 billion in official resources, $55.3 billion mobilised from private finance and $10.2 billion from private grants for development. Sustainable development grants (both official and private) decreased in 2022, compared to 2021. However, sustainable concessional development loans increased by 6%, while non-concessional loans decreased and mobilised private finance increased by 21%, compensating the decrease of 2021.
- Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows in 2023 amounted to an estimated $1.37 trillion, a marginal increase over 2022. However, the increase was due largely to higher values in a small number of conduit economies; excluding these conduits, global FDI flows were 18% lower. The number of international investment projects announced in developing countries in sectors relevant to the SDGs – including infrastructure, renewables, water and sanitation, food security, health and education – remained flat.
- The annual SDG investment gap in developing countries is now about $4 trillion. If the SDG investment needs to 2030 are to be met, some $30 trillion of additional investment must be found over the next eight years. More than half of the gap, or $2.2 trillion, relates to the energy transition alone.
- In the post-COVID period, remittances have proved to be resilient and become a premier source of external finance for developing countries. In 2022, remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries increased by 8%, to reach $647 billion. This increase is remarkable, given that it followed a 10.6% growth rate in 2021. The remittance growth rate is expected to moderate to about 4% in 2023.
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress.
17.4.1: Debt service as a proportion of exports of goods and services.
The external debt stock level of low- and middle-income countries decreased in 2022 for the first time since 2015, to $9.0 trillion in 2022 from $9.3 trillion in 2021. Despite the slight decrease in 2022, external debt stock levels remained unprecedentedly high following more than a decade of rapid debt accumulation. Moreover, going forward, interest costs both in nominal terms and in relation to GNI and export revenue are expected to increase given the aggressive rise in global interest rates to tame inflation and could become increasingly burdensome by crowding out spending on other priorities for many low- and middle-income countries.
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries.
17.5.1: Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries.
The number of countries that actively promote outward foreign direct investment to developing countries, including least developed countries, remains limited. In 2023, at least 50 countries, including 19 emerging or developing economies, had at least one type of investment promotion mechanism for outward foreign direct investment in place. However, out of those, only 23 countries have adopted an outward foreign direct investment promotion scheme specifically targeting developing countries, including least developed countries.
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism.
17.6.1: Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed.
Fixed-broadband subscriptions continue to grow steadily, at an average annual growth rate of 6.4% between 2015 and 2023, reaching 19 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2023 globally. Nevertheless, while fixed connections are common among households in upper-middle-income and highincome countries, they are nearly non-existent in low-income countries due to high prices and a lack of infrastructure.
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed.
17.7.1: Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Fully operationalise the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology.
17.8.1: Proportion of individuals using the Internet.
Approximately 67% of the world’s population, or 5.4 billion people were online in 2023. This represents a growth of 4.7% since 2022, a higher increase than that recorded from 2021 to 2022 at 3.5%. While there was an uptick in the increase in the number of Internet users during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the last three years growth rates in the number of Internet users were back to pre-pandemic levels.
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation.
17.9.1: Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda.
17.10.1: Worldwide weighted tariff-average.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020.
17.11.1: Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Realise timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access.
17.12.1: Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence.
17.13.1: Macroeconomic Dashboard.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development.
17.14.1: Number of countries with mechanisms in place to enhance policy coherence of sustainable development.
The external debt stock level of low- and middle-income countries decreased in 2022 for the first time since 2015, to $9.0 trillion in 2022 from $9.3 trillion in 2021. Despite the slight decrease in 2022, external debt stock levels remained unprecedentedly high following more than a decade of rapid debt accumulation. Moreover, going forward, interest costs both in nominal terms and in relation to GNI and export revenue are expected to increase given the aggressive rise in global interest rates to tame inflation and could become increasingly burdensome by crowding out spending on other priorities for many low- and middle-income countries.
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development.
17.15.1: Extent of use of country-owned results frameworks and planning tools by providers of development cooperation.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilise and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.
17.16.1: Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
17.17.1: Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure.
Not reported on the UN SDG website.
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts.
17.18.1: Statistical capacity indicators.
17.18.2: Number of countries that have national statistical legislation that complies with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
17.18.3: Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding.
Approximately 67% of the world’s population, or 5.4 billion people were online in 2023. This represents a growth of 4.7% since 2022, a higher increase than that recorded from 2021 to 2022 at 3.5%. While there was an uptick in the increase in the number of Internet users during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the last three years growth rates in the number of Internet users were back to pre-pandemic levels.
- One of the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the limited ability of national statistical offices to collect recent data for the Sustainable Development Goals. This was reflected in a drop in average data coverage scores in the Open Data Inventory (ODIN). Despite the recent decrease in data production capabilities, a comparison of ODIN coverage scores from 2017 to 2022 shows that the scores of low- and middle-income countries have increased at the same pace as high-income countries.
- Globally, scores on the Data Sources Performance Index (Statistical Performance Indicators Pillar 4) and Data Infrastructure Performance Index (Statistical Performance Indicators Pillar 5) have been improving since 2016. Data sources improved by only 3 points, held back in part because of COVID disruptions, while data infrastructure—meaning both the hard and soft infrastructure needed to produce data are available—has increased by around 14 points.
- In 2023, 159 countries and territories reported having national statistical legislation in compliance with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, representing a significant increase from 132 in 2019 and marking the fastest annual growth of 10 countries.
- In 2023, a total of 163 countries and territories reported having implemented a national statistical plan, marking an increase from 143 in 2019 and 156 in 2022. Of these, 109 plans were fully funded, up from 91 in 2019 and 100 in 2022. These trends suggest a recovery from the long-term disruptions caused by the pandemic on the planning and execution of statistical activities.
No data available
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries.
17.19.1: Dollar value of all resources made available to strengthen statistical capacity in developing countries.
17.19.2: Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration.
There has been a resurgence in international support for the development of data and statistics, reaching $799 million in 2021 and 26/26 representing a 14% increase from 2020 and a substantial 44% increase from 2015. Notably, 2021 marked the first time that multilateral aid providers emerged as the main source of funding.