Summary Brief: Mid-term status of SDG 6 global indicators and acceleration needs
The monitoring of progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) is a means to successfully achieving all eight SDG 6 targets. Credible and timely water and sanitation data provide numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits in both public and private sectors, such as stronger political accountability and commitment, as well as public and private investments. It also enables evidence-based policy-making, regulations, planning and investments at all levels, to ensure the most effective deployment of resources. The main beneficiaries of better data are countries.
The UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative on SDG 6 (IMI-SDG6) brings together the United Nations organizations that are formally mandated to compile country data on the SDG 6 global indicators. Through IMI-SDG6, the United Nations seeks to support countries in monitoring water- and sanitation- related issues within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in compiling country data to report on global progress towards SDG 6. An important part of this work is to provide standardized methodologies for monitoring the different indicators, to ensure that data are comparable across countries and over time. Learn more about SDG 6 monitoring and reporting here.
The IMI-SDG6 has published the 2024 series of indicator reports. They are founded on the most recent SDG 6 data compiled and verified by the custodian United Nations agencies during the 2023 Data Drive. Through these reports, our aim is to significantly enhance data quality, accessibility and use, offering decision-makers dependable and current evidence to pinpoint areas requiring acceleration. To learn more about the status and progress on each global indicator, we invite you to read the full 2024 indicator specific reports. Read all 2024 indicator reports here.
The current 2024 Summary Brief provides an overview of the key finding across all SDG 6 indicators assessed through official country data. In the pursuit of SDG 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 – we are still facing significant challenges. Data coverage for the corresponding global indicators has improved overall, but, as we approach the midpoint of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world is not on track to achieve the SDG 6 targets by 2030.Despite dedicated efforts and global commitments, we must face the harsh truth that our advancements are falling short of achieving all eight targets of SDG 6. In certain regions and for specific indicators, progress is not only lacking but also regressing.
Latest data: The SDG 6 Data Portal brings together data on all the SDG 6 global indicators and offers tailored options for visualization and analysis. Track overall progress towards SDG 6 at the global, regional and national levels here.
Full Report
Summary Brief: Mid-term status of SDG 6 global indicators and acceleration needs, English
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UN-Water Publications
UN-Water’s publications can be divided into two main groups: the publications that represent all Members and Partners of UN-Water – the collective products – and the publications that are under the UN-Water umbrella but produced by groups or individual UN-Water Members and/or Partners – the related products.