What this lesson teaches
I can use SDG indicators to measure progress and explain why measuring it is hard.
Syllabus 9173, Topic 1.1, 1. Understanding Sustainable Development. How do we know that there is progress towards sustainable development?
Make a guess
The share of wastewater safely treated rises from 40% to 55%. By how much has it risen?
- By 55%, the new level.
- It is impossible to work out.
- By 15%, from 40% to 55%.
- 15 percentage points, or 37.5%.
Show the answer
15 percentage points, or 37.5%.
The change in the share is 15 percentage points. As a percentage change, 15 divided by 40 is 37.5%, so the two must not be confused.
An indicator measures a condition, while a target states the improvement wanted by a certain date.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) link three pathways. Economic growth creates jobs and tax revenue. Environmental protection keeps ecosystems that support livelihoods. Social inclusion lets people facing barriers share in opportunities. Progress in one does not guarantee progress in the others.
An indicator is a number that measures something. Real GDP per person tracks average economic output. The share of wastewater safely treated tracks an environmental pressure. The share of people with safe drinking water tracks inclusion. Each answers a different question.
A target adds a goal and a deadline. Take a made-up local plan. Output per person should grow 2% a year. Safely treated wastewater should rise from 40% to 70% in five years. Safe water access should reach 95%. These are examples, not official SDG targets. Here, the share safely treated is the indicator; 70% by the deadline is the target.
Compare like with like: same definition, area and years. Averages can hide poorer areas. Some countries lack money or staff for good surveys, so data are missing. Missing data mean uncertainty, not proof of no progress. Where possible, break figures down by place or social group.
- SDG pathways
- Economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion.
- Indicator
- A number that measures a condition.
- Target
- The level to reach by a deadline.
Step by step
Choose a measure
Match the indicator to the goal.
Define the comparison
Units, starting point, deadline and who is included.
Check coverage
Do gaps or averages hide people?
Real examples to use
Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN members adopted 17 goals with 169 targets for 2030, from ending poverty to climate action.
Worked example: Progress is not the finish line
In a made-up town, safe wastewater treatment rises from 40% to 55%, against a target of 70%. It improved by 15 percentage points, but is still 15 points short.
Watch out for this
A rise from 40% to 55% is a rise of 15%.
It is 15 percentage points. Compared with the start, it is a 37.5% increase: 15 / 40 x 100.
Check your understanding
A country has no recent household survey data. What conclusion is justified?
- It has made little social progress, or it would publish data.
- Its progress is harder to measure, especially for missing groups.
- Economic growth figures can replace missing social data.
Show the answer
Its progress is harder to measure, especially for missing groups.
Yes. Missing data create uncertainty.