Measuring Progress Special Edition: Disaggregation
Overview
Chapter 1. Introduction and progress
This chapter includes objectives of the report, background information on the importance of having disaggregation to better inform policies as well as the global progress on the environmental dimension of the SDGs.
Chapter 2. Methodology
This chapter describes the methodology used to present the disaggregation at indicator level.
Chapter 3. Disaggregation of ecosystem-related goals
This chapter focuses on presenting the indicators by ecosystem-related SDG goal. It includes the following goals: SDG 2, SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 14 and SDG 15 (total of 42 indicators).
Chapter 4. Disaggregation of socio-economic goals
This chapter focuses on presenting the indicators by socio-economic SDG goal. It includes the following goals: SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG 17 (total of 50 indicators).
Chapter 5. Conclusions
This chapter presents the conclusions of the report.
About this report
Copyright © 2025 United Nations Environment Programme
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Recommended citation: “United Nations Environment Programme (2025). Measuring Progress Special Edition: Disaggregation. Nairobi.”
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Acknowledgements
Project Manager: Therese El Gemayel, Early Warning and Assessment Division, UNEP
The drafting of this report was done by Mr. Arnaud Comolet as part of his consultancy with the United Nations Environment Programme under direct guidance from the project manager. Contributions were made by other United Nations Organizations in their role as custodian for SDG indicators (alphabetical order): Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); International Energy Agency (IEA); International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR); UN-Habitat; United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations- Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UN-DOALOS); United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE); United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); UNEP – World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC); United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF); United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD); World Bank; World Health Organization (WHO); World Trade Organization (WTO).
UNEP overall coordination: Therese El Gemayel, Ludgarde Coppens and Brennan Van Dyke from the UNEP Early Warning and Assessment Division under the leadership of Jian Liu, Director of the Early Warning and Assessment Division.
UNEP publication support team: Angeline Djampou (library); Dany Ghafari (data processing); Jinita Dodhia (UNON, design and layout); Karl Scheifinger (drafting, data visualization, peer-review); Moses Kiget (maps development); Ralf Heidrich, (drafting, peer review coordination).
Reviewers: Raidan Alsaqqaf (UNDRR); Roswitha Baumung (FAO); Linda Maria Behnke (UN-DOALOS); Raymond Brandes (UNEP); Thomas Brooks (IUCN); Jessica Ying Chan (UNSD); Ludgarde Coppens (UNEP); Gerardo Escamilla (IRENA); Dany Ghafari (UNEP); Yonca Gurbuzer (FAO); Kirsten Isensee (IOC-UNESCO); Arbab Asfandiyar Khan (FAO); Lily Laugharn (UNEP); Gregoire Leroy (FAO); Nada Matta (UNEP); Bavelyne Mibei (UNEP); Dennis Mwaniki (UN-Habitat); Javier Neme (UNEP); Axel Nystroem (UNDP); Clementine O'Connor (UNEP); Ekaterina Poleshchuk (UNEP); Iulia Trombitcaia (UNECE); Francesco Tubiello (FAO).
UNEP publication support team: Gaia Basinc (review), Angeline Djampou (library); Dany Ghafari (data processing); Sophia Leticia Groll (review, editing, drafting, finalizing, digital content); Patryk Guenther (visualization), Catherine Onyango (UNON, design and layout).
Scientific editing: 400 Communications Ltd
Financial support from the European Union, United Nations Development Account 14th tranche (Statistics and Data Project - Resilient and agile National Statistical Systems (NSS) to meet post-COVID-19 data needs to recover better) to produce this report is gratefully acknowledged.
Foreword
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 concluded that only 17 per cent of the SDG targets are on track. Progress on over one third has stalled or even regressed. In response to the presentation of the report at the 2024 HLPF, the Secretary-General of the United Nations stated: “Our failure to secure peace, to confront climate change and to boost international finance is undermining development. We must accelerate action for the Sustainable Development Goals — and we don’t have a moment to lose.”
The latest available data and estimates for 92 environment-related SDG indicators tell us that the world is improving on having sufficient data to better understand our actions and to guide us towards improving our environment. In 2023, 62 per cent of environment-related SDG indicators had sufficient data for analysis, compared to 34 per cent in 2018. This increase in data availability paves the way for informed decision-making to better improve and protect our planet.
At the core of the SDG monitoring framework lies an overarching principle of data disaggregation. This states that SDG indicators should be disaggregated, where relevant, by income, sex, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, and geographic location or other characteristics in accordance with the overarching principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – “leave no one behind”. Disaggregation of environmental indicators requires additional dimensions and categories to those used for socio-economic data, including ecosystems, pressures and responses or ecosystem services.
Previous Measuring Progress reports stressed the need for improved data. Recommendations highlighted the urgency of having disaggregated data where more targeted and localized actions and interventions could be designed. The current report represents scientific-backed, environment-related disaggregation that would lead to designing such interventions.
All countries face challenges in measuring and monitoring, including the ability to decide on the desired degree of disaggregation. This publication aims to guide decision-making on the indicator disaggregations that may be useful for more efficient development planning within a national context.
We hope this report encourages governments to further strengthen their statistical capacities by investing in the development of their disaggregated data. Only by being equipped with adequate information at a sufficient granular level can we truly leave no one behind, while improving our impact on the environment at the same time. With unwavering hope and determination, let us continue to strive towards realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.