A new UN report lauds community-driven innovations for closing SDG data gaps in Asia and the Pacific, ensuring that marginalized people are included in policymaking.
From surveying hundreds of nomadic tribal households across Rajasthan, India, to health-monitoring mobile applications in Indonesia, these efforts are transforming sustainable development in the region.
A new report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) shows that by amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities, these solutions not only make policies more inclusive but also make sustainable development monitoring more representative across the region.
However, the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 reiterates that urgent action is still needed to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
"Data gaps persist and leave some of the most vulnerable populations invisible in official statistics, limiting policymakers’ ability to address their needs effectively,” emphasized United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.
“Constrained resources for modernizing statistical systems pose additional hurdles. Without urgent action to accelerate progress, many of the Goals will remain out of reach,” she added.
The report highlights several SDG targets where Asia and the Pacific lead globally, such as reducing income poverty (Goal 1), addressing undernourishment (Goal 2), supporting small-scale industries (Goal 9), reducing hazardous waste (Goal 12), mitigating land degradation (Goal 15), and combating human trafficking and intentional homicide (Goal 16).
Despite these strides, slow progress or setbacks in critical areas such as quality education (Goal 4), decent work and economic growth (Goal 8), and sustainable consumption and production (Goal 12) threaten regional efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Rising fossil fuel subsidies, low literacy and numeracy rates, and unsustainable production patterns further compound these challenges.
Meanwhile, environmental degradation, increasing vulnerability to natural disasters, and persistent greenhouse gas emissions are exacerbating setbacks in climate action (Goal 13), life below water (Goal 14), and life on land (Goal 15).
The report also finds that development benefits often bypass vulnerable groups, with intersecting factors such as age, gender, education, location, and wealth deepening inequalities.
Poverty and education level are the two most significant factors contributing to inequality of opportunity. Poorer households in rural areas with lower levels of education are the most disadvantaged in accessing basic services such as water, sanitation, and clean energy.
To bridge these gaps, ESCAP calls for innovative and inclusive data collection and analysis. Nuanced and granular data will provide policymakers with a clearer understanding of the realities of specific population groups, especially those most at risk of being left behind.
