Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Most Searched Indicators (2026 Rankings)
With the 2030 deadline approaching, global interest has shifted toward a "Mid-Point Correction." Search trends in 2026 reflect an urgent focus on tracking structural gaps in climate resilience, digital equity, and the eradication of extreme poverty.
| Rank | Indicator Name | Goal (SDG) | Leading Trend / Status (2026) | Key Metric / Progress |
| 1 | Poverty Headcount Ratio ($2.15/day) | Goal 1 | 🌍 Low-Income Nations | Extreme Poverty Focus |
| 2 | CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuels | Goal 13 | 🌍 Global Trend | Net-Zero Alignment |
| 3 | Prevalence of Undernourishment | Goal 2 | 🌍 Global Average | Food Security Alert |
| 4 | Individuals using the Internet (%) | Goal 9 | 🌍 Global Average | ~70% Connectivity |
| 5 | Gini Coefficient (Income Inequality) | Goal 10 | 🌍 High-Inequality Regions | Social Stability Index |
| 6 | Access to Electricity (% of pop) | Goal 7 | 🇮🇳 India / 🌍 Global Avg | ~92% Coverage |
| 7 | Maternal Mortality Ratio | Goal 3 | 🌍 Global Average | Target: <70 per 100k |
| 8 | Proportion of Women in Parliaments | Goal 5 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda / 🌍 Global Avg | Gender Parity Bench |
| 9 | Municipal Solid Waste Management | Goal 12 | 🌍 Urban Centers | Circular Economy Rate |
| 10 | Proportion of Urban Pop. in Slums | Goal 11 | 🌍 Developing Hubs | Housing Equity Focus |
| Rank | Indicator Name | Goal (SDG) | Leading Trend / Status (2026) | Key Metric / Forecast |
| 11 | Primary Completion Rate (Total) | Goal 4 | 🌍 Global Average | ~90% (Focus on Quality) |
| 12 | Renewable Energy Share (Total) | Goal 7 | 🇪🇺 EU / 🇨🇳 China | ~22% of Energy Mix |
| 13 | Unemployment Rate (by Sex/Age) | Goal 8 | 🌍 Global Average | Youth Opportunity Focus |
| 14 | Protected Marine Area Coverage | Goal 14 | 🌍 Global Oceans | "30x30" Conservation |
| 15 | Safely Managed Sanitation Services | Goal 6 | 🌍 Global Average | ~54% (Urgent Scaling) |
| 16 | Manufacturing Value Added (% of GDP) | Goal 9 | 🇻🇳 Vietnam / 🇮🇳 India | Digital Industry Shift |
| 17 | Official Development Assistance (ODA) | Goal 17 | 🇩🇰 Denmark / 🇳🇴 Norway | Target: 0.7% of GNI |
| 18 | Red List Index (Species Extinction) | Goal 15 | 🌍 Global Trend | Biodiversity Alert |
| 19 | Proportion of Recycled Waste | Goal 12 | 🇩🇪 Germany / 🇰🇷 South Korea | Circular Economy Rate |
| 20 | Conflict-Related Deaths (per 100k) | Goal 16 | 🌍 Global Average | Peace & Justice Index |
| Rank | Indicator Name | Goal (SDG) | Leading Trend / Status (2026) | Key Metric / Forecast |
| 21 | IUU Fishing Risk Index | Goal 14 | 🌍 Global Monitoring | Policy Enforcement Focus |
| 22 | Prevalence of Stunting (Under 5) | Goal 2 | 🌍 Global Average | ~21.5% (Steady Decline) |
| 23 | Access to Safely Managed Water | Goal 6 | 🌍 Global Average | ~74% of Population |
| 24 | Debt Service as % of Exports | Goal 17 | 🌍 Low-Income Nations | Financial Risk Alert |
| 25 | Proportion of Women in Management | Goal 5 | 🌍 Global Trend | Target: 30% Milestone |
| 26 | Forest Area as % of Total Land | Goal 15 | 🇧🇿 Belize / 🇬🇦 Gabon | Biodiversity Buffer |
| 27 | Air Pollution (PM2.5) Exposure | Goal 11 | 🌍 Urban Hubs | Health Risk Monitoring |
| 28 | Adolescent Birth Rate (per 1000) | Goal 3 | 🌍 Global Average | Social Development Gap |
| 29 | Total Renewable Capacity per Pop. | Goal 7 | 🇮🇸 Iceland / 🇳🇴 Norway | Energy Density Metric |
| 30 | Blue Carbon Sequestration | Goal 13 | 🌍 Coastal Regions | Climate Finance Lin |
The "Countdown" to 2030
The 2026 SDG data reveals a world that has made significant strides in connectivity and energy access, but is struggling under the weight of climate chaos and rising inequality. The search trends of 2026 highlight a shift from "awareness" to "accountability."
The Climate-Poverty Nexus: For the first time, Goal 13 (Climate Action) and Goal 1 (No Poverty) are being searched in tandem. Data shows that climate-related disasters are the primary driver of people falling back into extreme poverty, leading to a surge in interest in "Climate-Resilient Social Protection."
The Digital Divide: While Internet Usage (Rank 4) is at an all-time high, the focus is shifting to the quality of that access. In 2026, being "offline" is increasingly synonymous with being "excluded" from essential health and education services.
The Stalled Hunger Goal: Prevalence of Undernourishment (Rank 3) remains a high-priority search as global food supply chains face continued pressure from geopolitical conflicts and extreme weather, threatening the "Zero Hunger" target for 2030.
Ultimately, these 10 indicators serve as the definitive scoreboard for the global community as it enters the final, critical phase of the 2030 Agenda.