What the SDG India Index measures and how states compare

When a state leads the SDG India Index, what has it actually done well? The headline tells us where it stands. To understand that position, we need to look at the goals being measured, how the scores are calculated and what the overall number leaves unanswered.

NITI Aayog's index brings together selected measures of development to compare states and union territories. It can help readers ask clearer questions about public policy. Start by separating three things: the global goals, India's measurement framework and the results for a particular edition.

The goals behind the index

All United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. It contains 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, and 169 targets. A goal sets out a broad aim; its targets set out specific commitments. The agenda directs action towards 2030, though individual targets can have different deadlines.

Sustainable development covers social, economic and environmental concerns together. The goals include poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, water, energy, work and inequality, alongside climate, oceans and life on land. Institutions and partnerships are also part of the framework. The SDGs therefore reach well beyond the environment.

NITI Aayog coordinates India's SDG effort and monitors progress through tools including the SDG India Index. The goals are global; this index examines progress within India. NITI describes cooperation and competition between governments as parts of that work that support each other.

Which edition are we reading?

As checked on 2 October 2026, the newest SDG India Index listed on NITI Aayog's SDG division page is the 2023-24 edition. Released on 12 July 2024, it is the fourth edition. Read the year label and the publication date separately.

The first edition appeared in December 2018, the second in December 2019 and the third in June 2021. These dates show the gaps between editions, even though the index is described as annual. When reading a newer document about the SDGs, check whether it is an edition of this index.

The 2023-24 edition uses 113 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework developed by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, or MoSPI. That ministry develops the framework in consultation with ministries, UN agencies and other stakeholders. The framework provides a statistical reference; NITI's index uses selected indicators. MoSPI's annual SDG Progress Report is a separate publication from the SDG India Index.

How separate measures become a score

The index reports scores for individual goals as well as an overall, or composite, score. Indicators are normalised, meaning they are put on a common scale from 0 to 100. The index then averages the relevant indicator scores to produce a score for each goal. It averages the goal scores included in the calculation to produce the composite.

A higher score indicates greater progress towards the selected targets. A score of 100 represents target achievement within this measurement framework. A score of 71 measures progress on this scale, rather than completion of 71 per cent of all UN targets. A rank tells us where a place stands relative to others.

The edition reports scores for 16 SDGs, but the launch release explicitly excludes Goal 14, Life Below Water, from the composite. Its methodology explains that this goal applies to the nine coastal states. When reading a goal score, check whether it also contributes to the overall average.

What the four groups mean

NITI groups states and union territories according to their scores. The thresholds, also shown in India's 2025 Voluntary National Review, are:

• Aspirant: 0 to 49.
• Performer: 50 to 64.
• Front Runner: 65 to 99.
• Achiever: 100.

These are score bands, so each group can contain a different number of states or union territories. Front Runner covers a wide range of scores below full target achievement. The Aspirant label classifies a score; the Aspirational Districts Programme is a separate programme.

Keep groups and ranks separate when reading the results. Two places can belong to the same group while recording different scores. The label gives a broad classification; the number lets readers compare places more precisely within the index.

How states and union territories compare

In the 2023-24 edition, Kerala and Uttarakhand jointly led the states with scores of 79. Tamil Nadu scored 78, while Goa and Himachal Pradesh each scored 77. This puts Kerala alongside Uttarakhand as a joint leader, with 79 as its score.

At the lower end of the state scores, Bihar recorded 57, Jharkhand 62, and Meghalaya and Nagaland 63 each. State scores ranged from 57 to 79. Among union territories, Chandigarh led with 77 and Ladakh scored 65; the UT range was 65 to 77. Read the state and union territory results separately when identifying their leaders.

NITI Aayog's Annual Report 2024-25 records 32 states and union territories as Front Runners in this edition: 24 states and all eight UTs. Bihar, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Nagaland were Performers. No state or union territory was an overall Aspirant or Achiever. These overall classifications refer to composite performance.

What changes across editions can tell us

India's published composite score rose from 66 in the 2020-21 edition to 71 in 2023-24. That is a five-point increase in the reported score. NITI cautions that revisions to the indicators limit direct comparisons across editions. Its 2025 Voluntary National Review repeats this warning.

When describing the increase, explain that the measurement has changed. Comparing places within one edition answers a different question from comparing scores across editions. To judge how much a particular policy achieved, readers need evidence beyond the change in the score.

Using the index in practice

Start with the edition, then check whether the number is a goal score or a composite. When comparing places, read both their scores and their groups. For a policy question, look beyond the overall result to the relevant goal and its indicators. To assess differences between districts or find out which policy caused an outcome, look for evidence beyond the composite.

NITI intends the index to show differences in development outcomes and help governments target their responses. It also provides a public dashboard where readers can explore the results visually. The figures discussed here come from official reports and releases. Use a ranking as a starting point: what needs attention, and what evidence would support a response?

To practise policy analysis and research, One Young India's Model NITI Aayog programme covers those skills and how to build a white paper.