Table 2 Non-environment-related SDG indicators ranked by the Goal Sustainability Index (GSI) and their alignment with UN SDG taxonomies

4

1.98

9.E

sdg9_rdex

Expenditure on research and development

9.5.1

Match

1.87

9.A

sdg9_articles

Articles published in academic journals

9.5

Closely aligned

1.30

3.G

sdg3_neonat

Neonatal mortality rate

3.2.2

Match

1.29

3.M

sdg3_uhc

Universal health coverage (UHC) index of service coverage

3.8.1

Match

1.23

8.A

sdg8_accounts

Adults with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider

8.10.2

Match

1.17

11.C

sdg11_slums

Proportion of urban population living in slums

11.1.1

Match

1.08

9.G

sdg9_uni

The Times Higher Education Universities Ranking: Average score of top 3 universities

–

Not in UNSTATS

1.08

3.I

sdg3_swb

Subjective well-being

3.4

Closely aligned

1.08

9.C

sdg9_lpi

Logistics Performance Index: Quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure

9.1

Closely aligned

1.07

16.C

sdg16_cpi

Corruption Perceptions Index

16.5.1, 16.5.2

Closely aligned

1.06

3.K

sdg3_traffic

Traffic deaths

3.6.1

Match

1.05

1.A

sdg1_lmicpov

Poverty headcount ratio at 3.65 US Dollars ($)/day

1.1.1

Match

1.04

4.D

sdg4_second

Lower secondary completion rate

4.1.2

Match

1.03

3.D

sdg3_lifee

Life expectancy at birth

3.1:3.9

Closely aligned

1.02

9.B

sdg9_intuse

Population using the internet

17.8.1

Match

1.01

9.F

sdg9_roads

Rural population with access to all-season roads

9.1.1

Match

1.01

4.A

sdg4_earlyedu

Participation rate in pre-primary organized learning

4.2.2

Closely aligned

0.98

3.B

sdg3_fertility

Adolescent fertility rate

3.7.2

Match

0.97

6.B

sdg6_sanita

Population using at least basic sanitation services

6.2.1

Closely aligned

0.95

2.E

sdg2_stunting

Prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years of age

2.2.1

Match

0.94

9.D

sdg9_mobuse

Mobile broadband subscriptions

9.c.1, 17.6.1

Closely aligned

0.91

2.G

sdg2_undernsh

Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.1

Match

0.84

17.C

sdg17_statperf

Statistical Performance Index

17.18.1: 17.19.2

Closely aligned

0.81

16.E

sdg16_exprop

Expropriations are lawful and adequately compensated

16.6

Closely aligned

0.75

3.F

sdg3_ncds

Age-standardized death rate due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease in adults aged 30–70 years

3.4.1

Match

0.66

2.A

sdg2_crlyld

Cereal yield

2.3, 2.4

Closely aligned

0.66

17.B

sdg17_govex

Government spending on health and education

1.a.1

Closely aligned

0.58

16.B

sdg16_clabor

Children involved in child labor

8.7.1

Closely aligned

0.52

8.E

sdg8_rights

Fundamental labor rights are effectively guaranteed

8.8.2

Match

0.51

16.I

sdg16_safe

Population who feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where they live

16.1.4

Match

5

0.47

10.B

sdg10_palma

Palma ratio

10.1

Closely aligned

0.47

16.D

sdg16_detain

Unsentenced detainees

16.3.2

Match

0.42

1.B

sdg1_wpc

Poverty headcount ratio at 2.15 US Dollars ($)/day

1.1.1

Match

0.42

5.B

sdg5_familypl

Demand for family planning satisfied by modern methods

3.7.1

Match

0.39

16.H

sdg16_rsf

Press Freedom Index

16.1

Closely aligned

0.37

16.F

sdg16_homicides

Homicides

16.1.1

Match

0.36

16.G

sdg16_justice

Access to and affordability of justice

16.3.1, 16.3.3

Closely aligned

0.30

6.E

sdg6_water

Population using at least basic drinking water services

6.1.1

Closely aligned

0.28

2.H

sdg2_wasting

Prevalence of wasting in children under 5 years of age

2.2.2

Match

0.26

16.A

sdg16_admin

Timeliness of administrative proceedings

16.6

Closely aligned

0.05

11.A

sdg11_pipedwat

Access to improved water source, piped

11.1

Closely aligned

0.05

3.N

sdg3_vac

Surviving infants who received 2 WHO-recommended vaccines

3.b.1

Closely aligned

0.00

8.F

sdg8_slavery

Victims of modern slavery

8.7

Closely aligned

−0.01

16.J

sdg16_u5reg

Birth registrations with civil authority

16.9.1

Match

−0.07

3.L

sdg3_u5mort

Mortality rate, under-5

3.2.1

Match

−0.13

8.B

sdg8_adjgrowth

Adjusted GDP growth

8.1.1

Closely aligned

−0.15

7.C

sdg7_elecac

Population with access to electricity

7.1.1

Match

−0.15

5.A

sdg5_edat

Ratio of female-to-male mean years of education received

4.5.1

Closely aligned

−0.15

10.A

sdg10_gini

Gini coefficient

10.1

Closely aligned

−0.15

5.D

sdg5_parl

Seats held by women in national parliament

5.5.1

Match

−0.19

11.D

sdg11_transport

Satisfaction with public transport

11.2.1

Closely aligned

−0.19

4.B

sdg4_literacy

Literacy rate

4.6.1

Match

−0.27

3.C

sdg3_hiv

New HIV infections

3.3.1

Match

−0.37

3.A

sdg3_births

Births attended by skilled health personnel

3.1.2

Match

−0.39

3.E

sdg3_matmort

Maternal mortality rate

3.1.1

Match

−0.51

3.J

sdg3_tb

Incidence of tuberculosis

3.3.2

Match

−0.57

4.C

sdg4_primary

Net primary enrollment rate

4.1.2

Closely aligned

−0.82

5.C

sdg5_lfpr

Ratio of female-to-male labor force participation rate

5.5

Closely aligned

6

−1.06

8.G

sdg8_unemp

Unemployment rate

8.5.2

Match

−1.45

17.A

sdg17_cohaven

Corporate Tax Haven Score

–

Not in UNSTATS

−1.60

8.D

sdg8_impslav

Victims of modern slavery embodied in imports

8.7

Closely aligned

−1.67

8.C

sdg8_impacc

Fatal work-related accidents embodied in imports

8.8.1

Closely aligned

−1.68

2.F

sdg2_trophic

Human Trophic Level

–

Not in UNSTATS

−1.69

16.K

sdg16_weaponsexp

Exports of major conventional weapons

16.1

Closely aligned

−1.81

2.B

sdg2_obesity

Prevalence of obesity, BMI ≥ 30

2.2

Closely aligned