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The Millennium Development Goals Report

2014

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UNITED NATIONS

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This report is based on a master set of data that has been compiled by an Inter-agency and Expert

Group on MDG Indicators led by the Department of Economic and Social affairs of the United nations

Secretariat, in response to the wishes of the General assembly for periodic assessment of progress

towards the MDGs. The Group comprises representatives of the international organizations whose

activities include the preparation of one or more of the series of statistical indicators that were identified as

appropriate for monitoring progress towards the MDGs, as reflected in the list below. a number of national

statisticians and outside expert advisers also contributed.

ECOnOMIC anD SOCIaL COMMISSIOn FOR aSIa anD THE PaCIFIC

ECOnOMIC anD SOCIaL COMMISSIOn FOR WESTERn aSIa

ECOnOMIC COMMISSIOn FOR aFRICa

ECOnOMIC COMMISSIOn FOR EUROPE

Cover

anD THE

ECOnOMIC COMMISSIOn FOR LaTIn aMERICa

Inside

CaRIBBEan

FOOD anD aGRICULTURE ORGanIZaTIOn OF THE UnITED naTIOnS

InTERnaTIOnaL LaBOUR ORGanIZaTIOn

InTERnaTIOnaL MOnETaRY FUnD

InTERnaTIOnaL TELECOMMUnICaTIOn UnIOn

InTERnaTIOnaL TRaDE CEnTRE

InTER-PaRLIaMEnTaRY UnIOn

JOInT UnITED naTIOnS PROGRaMME On HIV/aIDS

ORGanISaTIOn FOR ECOnOMIC CO-OPERaTIOn anD DEVELOPMEnT

SECRETaRIaT OF THE PaCIFIC COMMUnITY

THE WORLD BanK

UnITED naTIOnS CHILDREn’S FUnD

UnITED naTIOnS COnFEREnCE On TRaDE anD DEVELOPMEnT

UnITED naTIOnS DEVELOPMEnT PROGRaMME

UnITED naTIOnS EDUCaTIOnaL, SCIEnTIFIC anD CULTURaL ORGanIZaTIOn

UnITED naTIOnS EnTITY FOR GEnDER EQUaLITY anD THE EMPOWERMEnT OF WOMEn - Un WOMEn

UnITED naTIOnS EnVIROnMEnT PROGRaMME

UnITED naTIOnS FRaMEWORK COnVEnTIOn On CLIMaTE CHanGE

UnITED naTIOnS HIGH COMMISSIOnER FOR REFUGEES

UnITED naTIOnS HUMan SETTLEMEnTS PROGRaMME

UnITED naTIOnS InDUSTRIaL DEVELOPMEnT ORGanIZaTIOn

UnITED naTIOnS POPULaTIOn FUnD

WORLD HEaLTH ORGanIZaTIOn

WORLD TRaDE ORGanIZaTIOn

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The Millennium Development Goals Report

2014

United nations

new York, 2014

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

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Foreword

At the turn of the century, world leaders came together

at the United Nations and agreed on a bold vision for

the future through the Millennium Declaration. The

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were a pledge

to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and

equity, and free the world from extreme poverty. The

MDGs, with eight goals and a set of measurable time-

bound targets, established a blueprint for tackling the

most pressing development challenges of our time.

This report examines the latest progress towards

achieving the MDGs. It reaffirms that the MDGs

have made a profound difference in people’s lives.

Global poverty has been halved five years ahead of

the 2015 timeframe. Ninety per cent of children in

developing regions now enjoy primary education, and

disparities between boys and girls in enrolment have

narrowed. Remarkable gains have also been made in

the fight against malaria and tuberculosis, along with

improvements in all health indicators. The likelihood of

a child dying before age five has been nearly cut in half

over the last two decades. That means that about 17,000

children are saved every day. We also met the target

of halving the proportion of people who lack access to

improved sources of water.

The concerted efforts of national governments, the

international community, civil society and the private

sector have helped expand hope and opportunity for

people around the world. But more needs to be done to

accelerate progress. We need bolder and focused action

where significant gaps and disparities exist.

Member States are now fully engaged in discussions to

define Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will

serve as the core of a universal post-2015 development

agenda. Our efforts to achieve the MDGs are a critical

building block towards establishing a stable foundation

for our development efforts beyond 2015.

Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General, United Nations

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Overview

Fourteen years ago, the Millennium Declaration

articulated a bold vision and established concrete targets

for improving the existence of many and for saving the

lives of those threatened by disease and hunger. There

has been important progress across all goals, with some

targets already having been met well ahead of the 2015

deadline. All stakeholders will have to intensify and focus

their efforts on the areas where advancement has been

too slow and has not reached all.

•

The political participation of women has continued to

increase

In January 2014, 46 countries boasted having more than

30 per cent female members of parliament in at least

one chamber. More women are now holding some of the

so-called “hard” ministerial portfolios—such as Defence,

Foreign Affairs and the Environment.

•

Development assistance rebounded, the trading

system stayed favourable for developing countries

and their debt burden remained low

Official development assistance stood at $134.8 billion in

2013, the highest level ever recorded, after two years of

declining volumes. However, aid is shifting away from the

poorest countries. 80 per cent of imports from developing

countries entered developed countries duty-free and

tariffs remained at an all-time low. The debt burden of

developing countries remained stable at about 3 per cent

of export revenue.

Several MDG targets have been met

•

The world has reduced extreme poverty by half

In 1990, almost half of the population in developing

regions lived on less than $1.25 a day. This rate dropped to

22 per cent by 2010, reducing the number of people living

in extreme poverty by 700 million.

•

Efforts in the fight against malaria and tuberculosis

have shown results

Between 2000 and 2012, an estimated 3.3 million

deaths from malaria were averted due to the substantial

expansion of malaria interventions. About 90 per cent

of those averted deaths—3 million—were children under

the age of five living in sub-Saharan Africa. The intensive

efforts to fight tuberculosis have saved an estimated

22 million lives worldwide since 1995. If the trends

continue, the world will reach the MDG targets on malaria

and tuberculosis.

•

Access to an improved drinking water source became

a reality for 2.3 billion people

The target of halving the proportion of people without

access to an improved drinking water source was achieved

in 2010, five years ahead of schedule. In 2012, 89 per cent

of the world’s population had access to an improved

source, up from 76 per cent in 1990. Over 2.3 billion

people gained access to an improved source of drinking

water between 1990 and 2012.

•

Disparities in primary school enrolment between boys

and girls are being eliminated in all developing regions

Substantial gains have been made towards reaching

gender parity in school enrolment at all levels of education

in all developing regions. By 2012, all developing regions

have achieved, or were close to achieving, gender parity in

primary education.

Substantial progress has been made in

most areas, but much more effort is needed

to reach the set targets

•

Major trends that threaten environmental

sustainability continue, but examples of successful

global action exist

Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO

) continued their

upward trend and those in 2011 were almost 50 per cent

above their 1990 level. Millions of hectares of forest are

lost every year, many species are being driven closer to

extinction and renewable water resources are becoming

scarcer. At the same time, international action is on the

verge of eliminating ozone-depleting substances and the

proportion of terrestrial and coastal marine areas under

protection has been increasing.

•

Hunger continues to decline, but immediate additional

efforts are needed to reach the MDG target

The proportion of undernourished people in developing

regions has decreased from 24 per cent in 1990–1992 to

14 per cent in 2011–2013. However, progress has slowed

down in the past decade. Meeting the target of halving the

percentage of people suffering from hunger by 2015 will

require immediate additional effort, especially in countries

which have made little headway.

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Overview

•

Chronic undernutrition among young children

declined, but one in four children is still affected

In 2012, a quarter of all children under the age of five years

were estimated to be stunted—having inadequate height

for their age. This represents a significant decline since

1990 when 40 per cent of young children were stunted.

However, it is unacceptable that 162 million young children

are still suffering from chronic undernutrition.

•

Child mortality has been almost halved, but more

progress is needed

Worldwide, the mortality rate for children under age five

dropped almost 50 per cent, from 90 deaths per 1,000 live

births in 1990 to 48 in 2012. Preventable diseases are the

main causes of under-five deaths and appropriate actions

need to be taken to address them.

•

Much more needs to be done to reduce maternal

mortality

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio dropped by 45 per

cent between 1990 and 2013, from 380 to 210 deaths

per 100,000 live births. Worldwide, almost 300,000

women died in 2013 from causes related to pregnancy

and childbirth. Maternal death is mostly preventable and

much more needs to be done to provide care to pregnant

women.

•

Antiretroviral therapy is saving lives and must be

expanded further

Access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected

people has been increasing dramatically, with a total

of 9.5 million people in developing regions receiving

treatment in 2012. ART has saved 6.6 million lives since

1995. Expanding its coverage can save many more. In

addition, knowledge about HIV among youth needs to be

improved to stop the spread of the disease.

•

Over a quarter of the world’s population has gained

access to improved sanitation since 1990, yet a billion

people still resorted to open defecation

Between 1990 and 2012, almost 2 billion people gained

access to an improved sanitation facility. However,

in 2012, 2.5 billion people did not use an improved

sanitation facility and 1 billion people still resorted to open

defecation, which poses a huge risk to communities that

are often poor and vulnerable already. Much greater effort

and investment will be needed to redress inadequate

sanitation in the coming years.

•

90 per cent of children in developing regions are

attending primary school

The school enrolment rate in primary education in

developing regions increased from 83 per cent to 90 per

cent between 2000 and 2012. Most of the gains were

achieved by 2007, after which progress stagnated. In 2012,

58 million children were out of school. High dropout rates

remain a major impediment to universal primary education.

An estimated 50 per cent of out-of-school children of

primary school age live in conflict-affected areas.

The MDGs show that progress is possible,

providing the platform for further action

The MDGs brought together governments, the

international community, civil society and the private

sector to achieve concrete goals for development and

poverty eradication. Much has been accomplished

through the concerted and focused efforts of all, saving

and improving the lives of many people, but the agenda

remains unfinished. The analysis presented in this report

points to the importance of intensifying efforts to meet all

MDG targets.

The post-2015 development agenda is slated to carry

on the work of the MDGs and integrate the social,

economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable

development. Continued progress towards the MDGs

in the remaining year is essential to provide a solid

foundation for the post-2015 development agenda.

Wu Hongbo

Under-Secretary-General for Economic

and Social Affairs

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Data for development

Reliable and robust data are critical for devising appropriate

policies and interventions for the achievement of the

MDGs and for holding Governments and the international

community accountable. The MDG framework has fostered

the strengthening of statistical systems at both national

and international levels to enable the production of quality

data for monitoring progress towards the set of concrete,

time-bound Goals. Despite considerable advancements in

recent years, reliable statistics for monitoring development

remain inadequate in many countries. Data gaps, data

quality, compliance with methodological standards and

non-availability of disaggregated data are among the major

challenges to MDG monitoring.

Disaggregated data can identify problems in

local areas and specific population groups, thus

allowing effective interventions

Disaggregated data help to track progress accurately in

local areas and across marginalized and disadvantaged

groups to map out inequalities. For example, household

surveys in Bosnia and Herzegovina found that only

32 per cent of the poorest fifth of the Roma population had

access to an improved drinking water source, compared to

82 per cent of the poorest fifth of the general population.

Thus, data disaggregation makes the invisible visible and

allows monitoring progress towards the elimination of

inequalities that have undermined the full realization of the

Human Right to Water and Sanitation by all.

MDG monitoring is driving development policy

decision making

MDG monitoring has generated public support

and funding for development

The number of Member States submitting country progress

reports to the Global AIDS Response Progress Reporting

(GARPR) increased from 102 in 2004 to 186 in 2012. The

monitoring of HIV and AIDS has helped to galvanise global

efforts and to increase the allocation of aid to the fight

against HIV and AIDS. Funding for HIV programmes has

more than tripled compared to a decade ago, and about ten

million people living with HIV were accessing antiretroviral

treatment in 2012.

The MDG monitoring framework has helped

to improve statistical capacity and data

availability

Statistical capacity has been strengthened to

produce internationally comparable development

indicators

In many developing countries, the need to track MDG

progress gave national statistical systems the opportunity

to develop their capacity to produce and deliver the

necessary information. The international statistical

community has helped to improve methodologies, produce

guidelines, and define priorities and strategies to support

countries in data collection, analysis, and reporting on

MDGs. Household surveys—such as the Demographic and

Health Surveys (DHS) and the Multiple Indicator Cluster

Surveys (MICS), supported by the international statistical

community and undertaken by national authorities—have

enabled developing countries to produce statistically

sound and internationally comparable estimates on MDG

indicators in the areas of health, education, child protection,

and HIV and AIDS.

Reliable and timely data allow targeted measures

against poverty

The Government of Tanzania has established a

comprehensive, MDG-based poverty-monitoring system

and has used this information to hone its Poverty Reduction

Strategy. Evidence of growing urban-rural disparities has

led the Government to increase funding to agriculture,

in order to address rural poverty and food security.

Similarly, evidence on trends in education and health has

prompted the Government into fully meeting the budgetary

requirements for primary education and basic health.

Abolition of primary school fees, a measure introduced with

the Poverty Reduction Strategy, has boosted the enrolment

of children in primary school substantially—from less than

50 per cent in 1999 to nearly universal enrolment by 2008.

Coordination within countries has improved and

the national statistics office has strengthened its

coordination role

In Mexico, a specialized technical committee has been set

up to coordinate the integration of the MDG indicators

into the National Development Plan. All Government

Ministries are involved in the process, providing basic

data and reviewing and updating metadata. The National

Institute of Statistics and Geography was assigned the

role of coordinator. Consequently, MDG monitoring has

improved the cooperation between Government offices

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Data for Development

and strengthened the role of the national statistics office,

resulting in improved reporting of development indicators at

both national and subnational levels.

survey programmes for poverty monitoring in these

countries.

Between 2000 and 2012, malaria reporting improved in

many of the 103 countries which had ongoing cases of

malaria transmission. However, in 41 countries where 85 per

cent of the estimated number of cases have occurred, the

data generated by national health information systems

has continued to be incomplete or inconsistent, making it

difficult to assess trends in malaria occurrence over time.

Surveillance systems are weakest—and case detection rates

lowest—in countries where the disease burden is highest. In

2012, routine health information systems detected only 14

per cent of the world’s malaria cases.

Statistical standardization and information

systems have improved

In Cambodia, the implementation of MDG monitoring

has facilitated the development of common statistical

standards on core indicators across the national statistical

system. Efforts include the establishment of a repository for

development indicators and the development of a metadata

handbook to further promote agreed standards and to

create greater transparency for users of the data.

Data availability and quality of development

indicators have improved

The MDG monitoring framework has helped to improve

data availability for the majority of the internationally

monitored MDG indicators. An analysis of a subset of 22

MDG indicators showed that the number of developing

countries that had two or more data points for at least 16

of those indicators rose from 4 countries in 2003 to 129

countries in 2013. For instance, barely half of the countries

in developing regions had at least one data point available

to measure skilled attendance at birth accurately in 1990-

1994, whereas 90 per cent of those countries had this type

of data available by 2005–2009.

Existing data are underutilized

Data sources used to produce development indicators have

not been exploited sufficiently. For instance, the wealth

of information available from population censuses and

household surveys, such as MICS and DHS, has remained

underutilized. Limited efforts have been made to fully analyse

and effectively use these data sources, especially on the

disaggregated information by wealth quintile, sex, specific

population groups and place of residence, which will be

helpful in addressing persistent inequality issues in a society.

Sustainable data are needed for sustainable

development

As the 2015 deadline for the MDGs approaches, the

international community has started to work on a new

development framework. The Report of the High Level Panel

of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda

called for a ‘Data Revolution’, which reflects the growing

demand for better, faster, more accessible, and more

disaggregated data for bringing poverty down and achieving

sustainable development.

The new data demand requires country ownership and

Government commitment to increasing resources for the

statistical system and building statistical capacity, with

the support of the international community. It also asks

to bring new information technologies and existing data

infrastructure together to produce improved development

data. In harnessing the potential of technological advances,

there must be continual reinforcement of the existing

data infrastructure, such as the registration of births and

deaths, health and education information systems, and

survey systems. In addition, promoting open access to and

effective use of data is essential.

The monitoring experience of the MDGs has shown

that data will play a central role in advancing the new

development agenda. We need sustainable data to support

sustainable development.

Lack of data hampers effective policymaking

Basic data for development are missing

Important data on development—such as the number of

births and deaths, the number and quality of jobs, and

data on agricultural productivity—are still missing in many

developing countries. Most sub-Saharan African countries

and many other developing countries still lack complete

civil registration systems, which can be the basis for the

reporting on births and deaths. It is estimated that nearly

230 million children worldwide under age five have never

been registered—approximately one of every three children

under age five. Children unregistered at birth or lacking

identifying documents are often excluded from access to

education, health care and social security.

Data gaps for MDG monitoring remain

The availability, frequency, and quality of poverty-

monitoring data have remained low, especially in small

States and countries and territories in fragile situations.

Institutional, political, and financial obstacles have

continued to hamper data collection, analysis, and public

access. There is an urgent need to improve household

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 1

Eradicate

extreme

poverty and

hunger

TargeT 1.a

Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of

people whose income is less than $1 a day

The extreme poverty rate has been halved, but

major challenges remain

Proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day, 1990 and 2010

(Percentage)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Southern Asia

Southern Asia (excluding India)

South-Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia (China only)

Latin America and the Caribbean

Caucasus and Central Asia

Western Asia

Northern Africa

Developing regions (excluding China)

Developing regions

World

1990

2010

2015 target

100

Quick facts

About one in five persons in

developing regions lives on less

than $1.25 per day.

Vulnerable employment

accounted for 56 per cent of

all employment in developing

regions, compared to 10 per cent

in developed regions.

About 173 million fewer people

worldwide suffered from chronic

hunger in 2011–2013 than in

1990–1992.

One in four children under age

five in the world has inadequate

height for his or her age.

Every day in 2013, 32,000 people

had to abandon their homes to

seek protection due to conflict.

Note: Available country data are not sufficient to calculate the aggregate values for Oceania.

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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

The world has made remarkable progress in reducing

extreme poverty. In 1990, close to half of the people

in developing regions lived on less than $1.25 a day.

This rate dropped to 22 per cent by 2010. This means

that the world reached the MDG target—of halving the

proportion of people living in extreme poverty—five years

ahead of the 2015 deadline. Meantime, the absolute

number of people living in extreme poverty fell from

1.9 billion in 1990 to 1.2 billion in 2010. Despite this overall

achievement, progress on poverty reduction has been

uneven. Some regions, such as Eastern Asia and South-

Eastern Asia, have met the target of halving the extreme

poverty rate, whereas other regions, such as sub-Saharan

Africa and Southern Asia, still lag behind. According

to World Bank projections, sub-Saharan Africa will be

unlikely to meet the target by 2015.

The majority of the extreme poor live in a few countries

Top five countries with the largest share of the global

extreme poor, 2010 (Percentage)

The overwhelming majority of people living on less than

$1.25 a day belong to two regions: Southern Asia and

sub-Saharan Africa. In 2010, one third of the world’s 1.2

billion extreme poor lived in India alone. China, despite

much progress in poverty reduction, ranked second, and

was home to about 13 per cent of the global extreme

poor. Nigeria (9 per cent), Bangladesh (5 per cent) and

the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5 per cent)

followed. Nearly two thirds of the extreme poor lived in

those five countries in 2010.

Aside from those populous countries with large numbers

of the extreme poor, high poverty rates are often

found in small, fragile and conflict-affected countries.

However, such countries often lack frequent, quality

household surveys that could capture details on income

or consumption, thus hampering efforts to design and

implement appropriate policies and programmes that

will tackle poverty.

32.9%

35.5%

India

China

Nigeria

Bangladesh

Congo, Democratic Republic

Other countries

12.8%

8.9%

4.6%

5.3%

32.9%

35.5%

India

China

12.8%

8.9%

5.3%

4.6%

Nigeria

Bangladesh

Congo, Democratic Republic

Remaining countries

32.9%

12.8%

8.9%

5.3%

4.6%

35.5%

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

TargeT 1.B

Achieve full and productive employment and

decent work for all, including women and

young people

Slow economic growth takes its toll on

labour markets

Changes in proportion of own-account and contributing

family workers in total employment,

2003–2008 and 2008–2013 (Percentage)

Latin America and the Caribbean

-4.3

0.3

Sub-Saharan Africa

-1.7

-0.5

Northern Africa

-0.5

Western Asia

-8.3

-1.2

Caucasus and Central Asia

-5.6

-1.8

South-Eastern Asia

-4.0

-2.4

Southern Asia

-2.4

Oceania

-0.1

-2.7

Eastern Asia

-5.5

-5.6

Developed regions

-0.5

-0.1

Developing regions

-4.0

-2.8

-10

-9

-8

-7

-6

-5

-4

-3

-2

-1

In 2013, global economic growth slowed to its lowest

rate since 2009. The weak and uneven global economic

recovery continued to take its toll on labour markets,

particularly in the developing world. This was reflected

in limited progress in the reduction of low-quality

employment, which has been widespread in most

developing countries.

Vulnerable employment rate—defined as the percentage

of own-account and unpaid family workers in total

employment—accounted for an estimated 56 per cent of

all employment in developing regions in 2013, compared

to 10 per cent in developed regions. This rate decreased

by 2.8 percentage points in the period of 2008–2013,

compared to a decrease of 4.0 percentage points in

the preceding five-year period (2003–2008). A high

proportion of workers in vulnerable employment signifies

widespread informal working arrangements. Workers in

such situations usually lack adequate social protection

and suffer low incomes and arduous working conditions

under which their fundamental rights may be violated.

The slowdown in the decrease in vulnerable employment

affected most regions, and was most pronounced in

Western Asia. In that region, the vulnerable employment

rate decreased by only 1.2 percentage points in 2008–

2013, compared to more than 8 percentage points in

2003–2008. The vulnerable employment rate increased

in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Oceania

experienced a significantly larger decrease in 2008–2013

than in the preceding period.

2003–2008

2008–2013

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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Women are more engaged in vulnerable

employment than men

Proportion of own-account and contributing family

workers in total employment, women and men, 2013

(Percentage)

Western Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

Eastern Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Oceania

Southern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Developed regions

Developing regions

Limited improvement in job quality is

accompanied by slowdown in productivity

growth

Average annual growth in output per worker,

2003–2008 and 2008–2013 (Percentage)

Western Asia

2.6

0.3

Northern Africa

1.5

0.8

Latin America and the Caribbean

2.3

0.9

Sub-Saharan Africa

3.2

1.3

South-Eastern Asia

3.9

2.9

Oceania

1.6

3.1

Caucasus and Central Asia

7.8

3.6

Southern Asia

5.5

4.6

Eastern Asia

9.4

7.2

Developed regions

1.4

0.8

Developing regions

5.6

4.0

Men

Women

100

2003–2008

2008–2013

Vulnerable employment rates continued to be higher for

women than for men. In developing regions, 60 per cent

of women were in vulnerable employment in 2013,

compared to 54 per cent of men. The largest gender

gaps (all exceeding 10 percentage points) were found in

Northern Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia and

Oceania. The gender gap has closed in Latin America

and the Caribbean in recent years and was very small

(1 percentage point) in Caucasus and Central Asia.

Labour productivity is a key measure of economic

performance. It measures the amount of goods and

services that a worker produces in a given amount of time.

Average annual labour productivity growth rates slowed

down markedly in most developing regions in the period

2008–2013, compared to the period 2003–2008. On

average, productivity growth in developing regions slowed

down from 5.6 per cent annually to 4.0 per cent annually.

The slowdown affected Caucasus and Central Asia and

Western Asia, in particular. Only Oceania experienced

stronger productivity growth in the most recent period.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

TargeT 1.C

Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

Hunger continues to decline, but major

efforts are needed to achieve the hunger

target globally by 2015

Proportion of undernourished people

in developing regions, 1990–2013 (Percentage)

Progress in reducing undernourishment

is uneven across regions and countries

Proportion of undernourished people,

1990–1992 and 2011–2013 (Percentage)

Sub-Saharan Africa

23.6

22.2

19.7

18.7

18.1

16.7

15.5

14.3

11.8

Southern Asia

Oceania

Eastern Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia

¬0

¬1

¬9

¬0

¬9

Latin America and the Caribbean

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

Developed regions

Developing regions

1990–1992

2011–2013

2015 target

Prevalence of undernourishment

MDG target

A total of 842 million people, or about one in eight

people in the world, were estimated to be suffering from

chronic hunger in 2011–2013. The vast majority of those

people (827 million) resided in developing regions.

Since 1990–1992, significant progress towards the MDG

hunger target has been recorded in those regions. The

proportion of undernourished people—those individuals

not being able to obtain enough food regularly to

conduct an active and healthy life—decreased from 23.6

per cent in 1990–1992 to 14.3 per cent in 2011–2013.

However, progress during the past decade was slower

compared to that recorded in the 1990s. Should the

average annual decline of the past 21 years continue

on to 2015, the prevalence of undernourishment would

barely exceed the target by about 1 percentage point.

Meeting the target, therefore, will require considerable—

and immediate—additional effort, especially in countries

which have showed little headway.

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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Despite overall progress, marked differences in reducing

undernourishment have persisted across regions. There

have been significant reductions in both the estimated

prevalence of undernourishment and the number of

undernourished in most countries in South-Eastern

Asia, Eastern Asia, Caucasus and Central Asia, and Latin

America and the Caribbean in which the target of halving

the hunger rate has been reached, or almost reached.

In comparison, sub-Saharan Africa has shown limited

progress in recent years, remaining the region with the

highest prevalence of undernourishment. Western Asia

witnessed a rise in the prevalence of undernourishment

compared to 1990–1992, and Southern Asia and Oceania

showed progress insufficient to meet the MDG hunger

target by 2015.

One in seven children under age five in the

world is underweight

Proportion of children under age five moderately

or severely underweight, 1990 and 2012 (Percentage)

Southern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

World

1990

2012

2015 target

Useful policy implications can be

drawn by analysing the different

dimensions of food security

The prevalence of undernourishment does not

capture the complexity of food security and its

multiple dimensions. There are several countries in

which underweight and stunting in children persist

even when undernourishment is low and most of

the population has access to sufficient quantities

of food. Nutritional failures are the consequence

not only of insufficient food access but also of

poor health conditions and the high incidence of

diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria, HIV/AIDS and

tuberculosis.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the

United Nations (FAO) has recently proposed

a suite of indicators to measure the different

dimensions of food security to allow identifying

appropriate policy actions. In countries where

low undernourishment coexists with high

malnutrition, nutrition-enhancing interventions

are crucial to improving the nutritional aspects of

food security. Improvements require a range of

policies, encompassing improvements in health

conditions, hygiene, water supply and education,

targeting women in particular, while less emphasis

is required on access to food per se.

Note: The trend analysis presented was based on harmonized estimates

on child malnutrition from the United Nations Children’s Fund,

the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

An estimated 99 million children under age five in the

world were underweight—inadequate weight for age—

in 2012. This represented 15 per cent of all children

under five, or approximately one in seven. The number

of underweight children fell by 38 per cent from an

estimated 160 million children in 1990.

Eastern Asia has experienced the largest relative decrease

in the prevalence of underweight children among all

regions since 1990, followed by Caucasus and Central

Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean and Western

Asia. While Southern Asia had the highest underweight

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

prevalence in 2012, it has also experienced the largest

absolute decrease since 1990 and has contributed

significantly to the decreased global burden over the

same time period. Sub-Saharan Africa, despite a modest

reduction in the prevalence of underweight children

since 1990, was the only region where the number of

undernourished children increased, from an estimated 27

million to 32 million, between 1990 and 2012. Oceania has

demonstrated the least progress of all regions.

Despite steady gains, one in four children

around the world remains stunted

Proportion of children under age five moderately

or severely stunted, and moderately or severely

underweight, 1990–2012 (Percentage)

Stunting—defined as inadequate length or height

for age—can reflect better than underweight the

cumulative effects of child undernutrition and infection

during the critical 1,000-day period covering pregnancy

and the first two years of a child’s life. Stunting is more

common than underweight, with one in four children

affected globally in 2012. Although the prevalence of

stunting fell from an estimated 40 per cent in 1990 to

25 per cent in 2012, an estimated 162 million children

under the age of five remain at risk of diminished

cognitive and physical development associated with this

chronic form of undernutrition. As with underweight,

all regions have experienced a decline in the number

of children affected by stunting, except sub-Saharan

Africa, where the number of stunted children increased

alarmingly by one third, from 44 million to 58 million

between 1990 and 2012.

Reductions in stunting and other forms of

undernutrition can be achieved through proven

interventions. These include improving maternal

nutrition, especially before, during and immediately

after pregnancy; early and exclusive breastfeeding;

and timely, safe, appropriate and high-quality

complementary food for infants, accompanied by

appropriate micronutrient interventions.

Stunted

Underweight

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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

The number of newly displaced persons has tripled since 2010

Average number of newly displaced persons* per day,

2003–2013

35,000

32,000

30,000

25,000

22,200

23,300

20,000

Developing countries, many of them poverty stricken,

continue to shoulder the largest burden. They hosted

86 per cent of refugees under the UNHCR mandate,

compared to 70 per cent a decade ago. Afghanistan

(2.55 million), the Syrian Arab Republic (2.47 million)

and Somalia (1.12 million) were the three main source

countries of refugees under UNHCR responsibility,

accounting for more than half of the total. The Syrian

Arab Republic became a main source of refugees during

2013 as a result of the dramatic humanitarian situation in

that country.

More than half of the world’s refugees nowadays are

housed in urban areas and not in camps, compared to

approximately only one third a decade ago.

15,800

15,000

13,000

12,500

10,800

5,000

7,900

10,900

10,000

11,400

14,200

* Displaced internally or across international borders.

The year 2013 was marked by a continuation of multiple

refugee crises, resulting in numbers unseen since 1994.

Conflicts during the year such as those in the Central

African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Mali, the Syrian Arab Republic, and the border area

between South Sudan and Sudan, among others, have

forced an average 32,000 people per day to abandon

their homes and seek protection elsewhere.

By the end of 2013, a record high of 51 million people

were displaced forcibly worldwide as a result of

persecution, conflict, generalized violence and human-

rights violations. These displaced consisted of 16.7

million refugees, of whom 11.7 million fell under the

responsibility of the United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees (UNHCR) and 5 million were Palestinian

refugees registered with the United Nations Relief and

Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

(UNRWA). An additional more than 1.1 million individuals

were waiting for decisions on their asylum applications

by year-end. Another 33.3 million people uprooted by

violence and persecution remained within the borders of

their own countries.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 2

Achieve

universal

primary

education

TargeT 2.a

Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and

girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of

primary schooling

Despite impressive strides forward at the start of

the decade, progress in reducing the number of

children out of school has slackened considerably

Adjusted net enrolment rate for primary education,*

1990, 2000 and 2012 (Percentage)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

Western Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Quick facts

Half of the 58 million out-of-

school children of primary school

age live in conflict-affected areas.

More than one in four children

in developing regions entering

primary school is likely to drop

out.

781 million adults and 126 million

youth worldwide lack basic

literacy skills, and more than

60 per cent of them are women.

South-Eastern Asia

Southern Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

Developed regions

Developing regions

1990

2000

2012

100

Eastern Asia

* Defined as the number of pupils of the official school age for primary education enrolled

either in primary or secondary school, expressed as a percentage of the total population

in that age group.

Note: 2000 data for Oceania not available.

1990 data for Caucasus and Central Asia not available.

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Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Developing regions made substantial progress towards

universal primary education between 2000 and 2012,

with the adjusted net enrolment rate in primary education

increasing by 7 percentage points, from 83 per cent to

90 per cent. By 2012, one in ten children of primary school

age was still out of school. There was a marked decrease

globally in the number of children out of school during the

early 2000s—from 100 million in 2000 to 60 million in

2007—after which progress stagnated. There were still 58

million children out of school in 2012.

The regions of Eastern Asia, South-Eastern Asia,

Caucasus and Central Asia, and Latin America and the

Caribbean were close to achieving universal primary

education, but have seen little progress since 2000.

Northern Africa, which had enrolment rates of 80 per cent

in 1990, had almost achieved universal primary education

by 2012. Western Asia and Southern Asia have also

closed the gap towards universal primary education,

especially since 2000. Oceania made substantial

progress between 1990 and 2012 with an increase in

enrolment rates from 69 per cent to 89 per cent. The

greatest improvement was in sub-Saharan Africa,

where the adjusted net enrolment rate increased by 18

percentage points between 2000 and 2012.

However, sub-Saharan Africa faces a big challenge

despite its impressive achievement: rapid population

growth. Compared to 2000, there were 35 per cent more

school children to accommodate in 2012. Countries in

the region have also experienced armed conflicts and

numerous other emergencies which have kept children

out of school. Hence, although the number of children

enrolled in primary education more than doubled

between 1990 and 2012, from 62 million to 149 million,

there were still 33 million children of primary school age

who were not in school, of which 56 per cent were girls.

Children in conflict-affected areas, girls

from poor rural households and children

with disabilities are more likely to be out

of school

An estimated 50 per cent of out-of-school children of

primary school age live in conflict-affected areas, even

though these areas are home to only 22 per cent of the

world’s primary-school-age population. Sub-Saharan

Africa accounts for 44 per cent of these children,

Southern Asia about 19 per cent, and Western Asia

together with Northern Africa, 14 per cent.

Recent household surveys have revealed the negative

effect of conflict on school attendance. For example,

in the conflict-affected province of Nord Kivu in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, almost one in

two children of primary school age from the poorest

households had never been to school in 2010, compared

to one in four in the province of Kasaï-Oriental. In the

conflict-affected province of Najaf in Iraq, 27 per cent

of children of primary school age from the poorest

households had never been to school in 2011, compared

to 3 per cent in Al-Sulaimaniyah province.

Poverty, gender and location are the most pervasive

factors linked to disparities in school attendance in

children of primary-school and lower-secondary-

school age. An analysis of 61 household surveys

from developing countries between 2006 and 2012

shows that children of primary-school age from the

poorest 20 per cent of households are over three times

more likely to be out of school than children from the

richest 20 per cent of households. Among the poorest

households, girls are more likely to be excluded from

education than boys. Disparities in school participation

linked to place of residence also persist. Rural primary-

school-aged children are twice as likely to be out

of school compared to their urban counterparts. In

sub-Saharan Africa, only 23 per cent of poor, rural girls

complete their primary education.

Disadvantaged children, such as those with disabilities,

are also at risk. These children often require education

adapted to their needs. However, in many developing

countries, such personalized approaches are either

deficient or unavailable, which either prevents these

children from going to school, or slows their progress.

Inclusive education requires increased attention to be

paid to children with disabilities as well as those who are

more generally marginalized or vulnerable.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

High dropout rates remain a major impediment to universal primary education

Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach the last grade of primary education, 1990, 2000 and 2011 (Percentage)

100

Oceania

Sub-Saharan

Africa

2000

Southern Latin America Western South-Eastern Northern

Asia

and

Asia

Africa

the Caribbean

2011

Eastern

Asia

Caucasus Developing

and

regions

Central Asia

Developed

regions

1990

Note: 1990 data for Caucasus and Central Asia not available.

The achievement of universal primary education requires

both enrolment in, and completion of, the full cycle of

primary school education. Between 2000 and 2011,

persistent early school leaving has slowed progress

towards this goal in developing regions. During this

period, the proportion of pupils in developing regions

starting first grade who completed the last grade of

primary education remained at 73 per cent.

Between 2000 and 2011, progress was observed

everywhere except in Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and

Western Asia. In Caucasus and Central Asia, Eastern

Asia and Northern Africa, nine out of ten pupils who

started primary school completed the last grade,

bringing these regions closer to achieving the universal

primary education goal. However, only three out of five

pupils in sub-Saharan Africa, and only one in two pupils

in Oceania, were able to complete primary school. Boys

were at greater risk than girls of leaving school earlier.

Children who are over-age for their grade are more likely

to leave school early due to late entry, repetition or the

rising opportunity cost of attending school. Other critical

factors for early school leaving include travelling long

distances from home to school, household poverty, the

combination of work and study, and opportunity costs.

Consequently, good measures to tackle early school

leaving should address these factors and promote early

interventions—including wider access to pre-primary

school programmes to facilitate school readiness and

timely school entry.

The global number of illiterates remains

high despite rising literacy rates

Over the past two decades, the world has seen

remarkable progress in youth and adult literacy rates

and a simultaneous decrease in the gap between male

and female literacy rates. The youth literacy rate for

the population 15–24 years old increased globally,

from 83 per cent in 1990 to 89 per cent in 2012. The

adult literacy rate, for the population 15 years and

older, increased from 76 per cent to 84 per cent. Still,

781 million adults and 126 million youth worldwide lacked

basic reading and writing skills in 2012, with women

accounting for more than 60 per cent of both the illiterate

adult and youth populations.

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Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Declines in aid threaten education in the

poorest countries

Total aid to education disbursements,

2002–2011 (Constant 2011 US$ billions)

Given the fact that there has been little reduction in

the number of children out of school since 2007, a final

push will be needed to ensure that as many children as

possible are in school by 2015. Even before the economic

downturn, donors had not met the commitment made in

Dakar in 2000 that no country would be left behind due

to lack of resources. More recently, donors have even

been moving away from this promise.

Donor aid to education had risen steadily after 2002,

peaked in 2010 then declined by 7 per cent between 2010

and 2011. Alarmingly, for the first time since 2002, aid

to basic education fell: from $6.2 billion in 2010 to $5.8

billion in 2011.

Low-income countries—which received one third of

total educational aid to basic education—witnessed

a decrease in aid to basic education, in contrast to

middle-income countries where aid to basic education

increased. Aid fell by 9 per cent in low-income countries

between 2010 and 2011, from $2.1 billion to $1.9 billion.

In sub-Saharan Africa, home to over half of the world’s

out-of-school population, aid to basic education declined

by 7 per cent between 2010 and 2011.

5,6

5,3

5,0

5,7

5,4

4,7

4,4

2,7

1,1

1,2

1,4

4,2

3,0

3,3

3,6

4,2

1,3

5,1

2,5

2,0

1,7

2,0

2,5

2,2

4,6

5,1

5,2

6,2

5,8

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Basic education

Secondary education

Post-secondary education

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 3

Promote

gender

equality and

empower

women

TargeT 3.a

Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary

education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of

education no later than 2015

Gender disparities are more prevalent at higher

levels of education

Gender parity index for gross enrolment ratios in primary, secondary

and tertiary education in developing regions, 1990 and 2012

Primary education

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

Western Asia

Northern Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

South-Eastern Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Eastern Asia

Southern Asia

Developing regions

Secondary education

0.74

0.86

0.76

0.86

0.65

0.59

0.77

0.90

0.76

0.77

0.52

0.49

0.63

0.99

0.65

0.92

0.97

0.69

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

0.99

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

0.49

0.64

0.81

0.95

1.07

1.08

1.12

1.28

0.84

0.87

0.92

0.93

0.98

0.99

1.02

1.06

0.96

1.07

0.91

0.82

0.97

0.96

0.99

0.83

0.89

0.85

0.92

0.93

0.96

0.99

1.01

1.00

0.97

Quick facts

In Southern Asia, only 74 girls

were enrolled in primary school

for every 100 boys in 1990. By

2012, the enrolment ratios were

the same for girls as for boys.

In sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania

and Western Asia, girls still face

barriers to entering both primary

and secondary school.

Women in Northern Africa hold

less than one in five paid jobs in

the non-agricultural sector.

In 46 countries, women now hold

more than 30 per cent of seats

in national parliament in at least

one chamber.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

Western Asia

Southern Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

South-Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Developing regions

Tertiary education

Sub-Saharan Africa

Southern Asia

Western Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Eastern Asia

Northern Africa

South-Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Developing regions

0.1

1990

0.2

0.3

2012

2015 Target = Gender parity index between 0.97 and 1.03

Note: In secondary and tertiary education, 1990 data for Caucasus and Central Asia

refer to 1993.

In tertiary education, 2012 data for Oceania are not available.

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Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Gender parity in education is reached when the gender

parity index (GPI), defined as girls’ gross school

enrolment ratio divided by the corresponding ratio for

boys, is between 0.97 and 1.03. Trends in GPI show

important gains in all developing regions at all levels of

education—primary, secondary and tertiary. However,

gender disparities become more prevalent at higher

levels of education, with greater variances among

developing regions.

In 2012, all developing regions achieved, or were close to

achieving, gender parity in primary education. Southern

Asia stands out in terms of overall progress in primary

education: in 1990, the primary education GPI was the

lowest of all regions, at 0.74; by 2012, it had risen to 1.00.

However, there are still countries in that region where

gender parity is yet to be achieved, namely, Afghanistan

and Pakistan—where there are at most nine girls for

every ten boys enrolled—and Bangladesh and Nepal—

where the gender disparity favours girls.

Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, Western Asia and

Northern Africa still face continuing disadvantages for

girls, although these regions have made substantial

progress over the past two decades. The most

significant progress in this group was observed in

Northern Africa, where the GPI increased from 0.82 to

0.96. Sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest GPI of 0.92

in 2012 despite noticeable progress since 1990. The

greatest improvements in this region over the period

were observed in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea,

Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone, where an

additional 30 to 40 more girls were enrolled in primary

school for every 100 boys.

Gender disparities are larger in secondary education

than in primary. While the Caucasus and Central Asia,

Northern Africa, South-Eastern Asia and Eastern Asia

have achieved gender parity, girls’ enrolment ratios are

still lower than boys’ in sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania,

Western Asia and Southern Asia. In 2012, Latin America

and the Caribbean was the only region where gender

disparity favoured girls.

In tertiary education, enrolment ratios in most regions

have improved substantially over the years, but

considerable disparities exist in all regions. Enrolment

ratios of young women are significantly lower than those

of young men in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

In contrast, young women in Caucasus and Central Asia,

Eastern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern

Africa and South-Eastern Asia have higher enrolment

ratios than young men.

Women’s status in the labour market is

improving, but gender disparity still exists

Employees in non-agricultural wage employment

who are women, 1990 and 2012 (Percentage)

Northern Africa

Southern Asia

Western Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Oceania

South-Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Caucasus and Central Asia

Developed regions

1990

2012

Women’s access to paid employment in non-agricultural

sectors has been increasing slowly over the past two

decades. Women’s share increased globally from 35

per cent in 1990 to 40 per cent in 2012, with increases,

although unequal, observed in almost all regions. The

most impressive progress has been registered in sub-

Saharan Africa, an increase of 10 percentage points

over the period 1990–2012. Northern Africa, in contrast,

had one of the lowest proportions of women in paid

employment in 1990, and showed no noticeable increase

by 2012.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

More family-friendly policies are needed to support greater women’s participation

in the job market

Time-related underemployment rate,* men and women,

most recent data for period 2010–2012 (Percentage)

Caucasus and Central Asia

1.2

1.1

Eastern Asia

1.5

1.3

Western Asia

1.9

2.1

South-Eastern Asia

5.1

4.9

Latin America and the Caribbean

8.8

10.4

Sub-Saharan Africa

12.6

15.8

Northern Africa

3.7

17.5

Southern Asia

12.0

20.6

Developed regions

3.8

7.0

Men

Women

One of the indicators that measures gender disparity in

the labour market is the time-related underemployment

rate. It measures the percentage of employed men and

women who are willing, and available, to work additional

hours. In most developing regions, the time-related

underemployment rate for women is higher than that for

men. The differences are particularly notable in Northern

Africa and Southern Asia. This calls for more family-

friendly policies, which not only encourage a better

work-family balance, but also enhance the quality of

part-time jobs and improve overall business productivity.

The policies include legislation on flexible time, parental

leave, other codes of conduct and new working practices,

as well as childcare and elderly-care facilities.

* Defined as the percentage of employed men and women that are willing

and available to work additional hours.

In addition to a lower likelihood of being employed than

men, women are far more likely than men to have part-

time jobs and be in time-related underemployment. The

proportion of women in part-time employment is more

than double that of men in almost all countries where

data are available. These higher part-time employment

rates are associated with a number of factors, including

gender inequality in family roles, the absence of

adequate and affordable childcare and elderly-care

facilities, and/or other social perceptions which play

a significant role in the participation of women in

employment, in their occupational choices, and in the

employment patterns that reinforce gender disparities in

the labour market.

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Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Women’s political participation continues to increase, but glass ceilings remain

Proportion of seats held by women in single or lower

houses of national parliament, 2000 and 2014

(Percentage)

Oceania

Western Asia

Southern Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Eastern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Northern Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Developed regions

Developing regions

World

2000

2014

The proportion of women holding seats in parliament

increased in 42 of the 64 chambers renewed in 2013

worldwide. The proportion of women rose fastest, by

more than 20 percentage points, in two chambers—

Grenada’s lower house (to 33.3 per cent) and Zimbabwe’s

upper house (to 47.5 per cent). These were followed

by four countries: Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, Zimbabwe

and Equatorial Guinea, with an increase of more than 15

percentage points in the lower houses. However, women’s

shares declined in 14 chambers. Legislated or voluntary

quotas were used in 39 chambers holding elections.

Such measures impact positively on women’s access

to parliament. However, quotas alone are not enough:

political parties need to field more women candidates.

The year 2013 also witnessed a growing awareness

of the importance of ending political violence against

women. Pre- and post-electoral violence—which

includes intimidation, physical assault and other forms of

aggression towards candidates and elected women—is

a common deterrent to women’s political participation

in any part of the world. Countries such as Bolivia and

Mexico have taken the lead by passing legislation to

redress this issue that deters women from political

involvement.

The percentage of women in ministerial posts at the

executive level of Government reached 17.2 per cent

in 2014, up from 16.1 per cent in 2008. By January

2014, there were 36 countries with 30 per cent or more

female ministers. Nicaragua headed the global table

with women holding 57 per cent of ministerial positions,

followed by Sweden, Finland, France, Cabo Verde

and Norway. Political commitment and policy are key

components to women’s progress in this area.

Another positive trend has been that not only

traditionally so-called “soft” portfolios—such as Social

Affairs, Education and Women’s Affairs—continue to

be more commonly held by women ministers, but also

that more women are now holding some of the so-called

“hard” ministerial portfolios—such as Defence, Foreign

Affairs and the Environment.

In contrast to these more positive trends, there has

been a slight decline or inertia of the number of female

Heads of State/Heads of Government and Speakers

of Parliament. Since 2012, the number of female

Heads of State or Heads of Government in the world

has decreased slightly, from 19 to 18. Meanwhile, the

percentage of female Speakers of Parliament has barely

risen—from 14.2 per cent in 2012, to 14.8 per cent in

2013—suggesting that there may be a glass ceiling for

women in some countries.

Women members of parliament accounted for 21.8

per cent of all parliamentary seats in January 2014, up

from 20.3 per cent the previous year. In January 2014,

46 countries boasted more than 30 per cent women

members of parliament in at least one chamber, up from

42 countries the previous year. Rwanda maintained its

leadership with the election of women to 64 per cent of

the seats in its lower house. By the end of 2013, only five

chambers worldwide had no women in parliament.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 4

Reduce child

mortality

TargeT 4.a

Reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015,

the under-five mortality rate

Despite substantial progress, the world is still

falling short of the MDG child mortality target

Under-five mortality rate, 1990 and 2012

(Deaths per 1,000 live births)

Sub-Saharan Africa

177

Southern Asia

126

Oceania

Caucasus and Central Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia

Northern Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Eastern Asia

Developed regions

Developing regions

1990

2012

100

2015 target

150

200

Quick facts

The child mortality rate has

almost halved since 1990; six

million fewer children died in

2012 than in 1990.

During the period from 2005 to

2012, the annual rate of reduction

in under-five mortality was more

than three times faster than

between 1990 and 1995.

Globally, four out of every five

deaths of children under age five

continue to occur in sub-Saharan

Africa and Southern Asia.

Immunization against measles

helped prevent nearly 14 million

deaths between 2000 and 2012.

The global rate of under-five mortality in 2012 was almost half of

its 1990 rate, dropping from 90 to 48 deaths per thousand live

births. The estimated number of under-five deaths fell from about

12.6 million to 6.6 million over the same period: about 17,000

fewer children died each day in 2012 than in 1990. All regions, with

the exception of sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania, have reduced

their under-five mortality rate by more than half.

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Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Currently, the world is reducing under-five mortality

faster than at any other time during the past two

decades. The global annual rate of reduction in under-

five mortality has accelerated steadily from 1.2 per

cent between 1990 and 1995 to 3.9 per cent between

2005 and 2012. However, regions such as Oceania,

sub-Saharan Africa, Caucasus and Central Asia, and

Southern Asia still fall short of the 2015 target. It will

take until 2028 to reach Goal 4 globally at the current

rate. The pace of reduction would need to quadruple in

the period from 2013 to 2015 to meet the target of a two-

thirds reduction in the under-five mortality rate.

Encouragingly, neonatal mortality is on the decline

worldwide. Between 1990 and 2012, the world neonatal

mortality rate fell by almost one third, from 33 to 21

deaths for every thousand live births. However, the

pace of decline has fallen behind that of post-neonatal

mortality. As a result, the proportion of deaths occurring

in the first 28 days of life has increased, from 37 per cent

in 1990 to 44 per cent in 2012.

Most neonatal deaths are preventable. The best possible

way of reducing neonatal mortality is through greater

investment in maternal care during the first 24 hours

after birth, particularly in labour and delivery care and

other high-impact interventions. Far too many births—

more than half in some countries—occur outside health

facilities, despite the increase in institutional deliveries

globally.

Preventable diseases are the main

causes of under-five deaths, and almost

half of under-five deaths occur during

the neonatal period

Age distribution of global under-five deaths, 1990, 2000

and 2012 (Percentage)

100

It is critical to reduce the number

of child deaths in sub-Saharan Africa

and Southern Asia

Number of under-five deaths in 2012 by region (Thousands)

Southern Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia

Latin America

and the Caribbean

Western Asia

2,108

346

272

206

120

Developed regions

1990

Child deaths (1–4 years)

Post-neonatal deaths (28–364 days)

Neonatal deaths (0–27 days)

2000

2012

Northern Africa 88

Caucasus and Central Asia

Oceania 15

Total=6.6 million

Sub-Saharan Africa

3,245

Most of the 6.6 million deaths in children under age

five in 2012 were from leading infectious diseases

such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Moreover,

2.9 million deaths occurred during the first 28 days of

life (0–27 days)—the neonatal period. Many under-

five deaths occur in children already weakened by

undernutrition—a contributing factor in around half of

global under-five deaths, mainly in low-income countries

where malnutrition and infectious diseases are highly

concentrated, predominantly among the poor.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to confront a tremendous

challenge. Not only does the region have the highest

mortality rate in the world for children under age five—

more than 16 times the average for developed regions—

but it is also the only region where both the number of

live births and the under-five population are expected to

rise substantially over the next two decades. In 2012, one

child in ten in sub-Saharan Africa did not live until their

fifth birthday.

Nevertheless, the region has made remarkable progress

since 1990, reducing child mortality rates by 45 per cent.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

However, its progress continues to lag behind that of

every other region except Oceania: nearly half of global

under-five deaths in 2012—3.2 million children under age

five—occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet, the signs are that rapid progress is possible. Sub-

Saharan Africa, despite its relatively high rate of under-

five mortality, was able to step up the rate of decline

from 0.8 per cent per year to 4.1 per cent per year—

over five times faster during 2005–2012 than during

1990–1995.

Southern Asia has also made strong and steady progress

in reducing child deaths, more than halving its under-five

mortality rate. Yet, nearly one in every three under-five

deaths still takes place there. India had the highest

number of under-five deaths in the world in 2012, with 1.4

million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday.

country’s income level and its child mortality. There

have been notable reductions in the under-five mortality

rate since 1990 and particularly since 2000 in some

low-income countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia,

Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi,

Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Uganda and the

United Republic of Tanzania. Even high- and middle-

income countries with low mortality rates can continue

to make considerable progress. There were 53 countries

in 1990 that had an under-five mortality rate of twenty

or fewer deaths per thousand live births, of which 36

countries had—at least—halved their under-five mortality

rate, and 11 had reduced it by at least two thirds by 2012.

New analysis has suggested a comprehensive drop in

under-five mortality rates among the poorest households

in all regions. Disparities in under-five mortality between

the richest and the poorest households have declined in

most regions of the world, with the exception of sub-

Saharan Africa. Hence, it is possible to curb preventable

child deaths regardless of the income level of country or

household.

Reducing under-five mortality requires political will,

applied consistently in support of child and maternal

health through concerted action, sound strategies and

adequate resources. The success of a significant number

of countries in achieving Goal 4 should encourage all

global health actors to commit to achieving a fairer and

more equitable world for all children.

Sharp reductions in child mortality have

been observed at all levels of national

income

Under-five mortality rate by country income level,

1990 and 2012 (Deaths per 1000 live births)

Low income

166

Lower middle income

118

Upper middle income

High income

1990

2012

100

150

200

High-income countries had the lowest rates of under-

five mortality on average, at six deaths per thousand

live births in 2012. Upper-middle-income countries were

the most successful in reducing under-five mortality

rates between 1990 and 2012, registering a 63 per cent

decrease over the period. Countries at all income levels

have been getting steadily better at saving children’s

lives. The annual rate of reduction in the under-five

mortality rate has accelerated since 1995 at all levels of

national income, except in high-income countries.

Low income need not be an impediment to saving

children’s lives, despite evidence of a link between a

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Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Measles immunization has helped to lower

measles deaths significantly, although

recent progress has stalled

Proportion of children in the appropriate age group who

received at least one dose of measles-containing vaccine,

2000 and 2012 (Percentage)

Oceania

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caribbean

Southern Asia

Western Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Latin America

Caucasus

and

Central Asia

Northern Africa

Eastern Asia

Developed regions

2000

2012

100

There has been substantial progress in most regions,

particularly Oceania which decreased measles deaths

by an estimated 89 per cent between 2000 and

2012. Unfortunately, continued measles outbreaks in

Europe, sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia—due

to weak routine immunization systems and delayed

implementation of accelerated disease control—have

stalled momentum towards regional and global targets in

control and elimination.

Measles can be prevented through the application

of two doses of a safe, effective and inexpensive

vaccine. Reductions in measles-related mortality have

been due—in part—both to improvements in routine

coverage among children in the appropriate age group

who received the first dose of measles containing

vaccine (MCV1), and to the success of supplementary

immunization activities in vaccinating children outside

the reach of existing health services.

Between 2000 and 2009, global coverage with MCV1

increased from 72 per cent to 84 per cent, and then

stagnated at 84 per cent between 2009 and 2012.

Recommended MCV1 coverage levels—at least 90 per

cent at the national level and at least 80 per cent in all

districts—were reached in 58 countries with available

data in 2012. However, during the same time period,

there were 35 countries with less than 80 per cent MCV1

coverage. An estimated 21.2 million infants—many of

them from the poorest, most marginalized populations

residing in especially hard-to-reach areas—did not

receive MCV1 in 2012.

Addressing the decline in political and financial

commitment to measles control is the key to making

further progress towards the measles objectives

established in 2010 by the World Health Assembly.

Measles deaths have declined by more than three

quarters in the past twelve years, from 562,000 deaths

in 2000 to 122,000 in 2012, mostly among children

under five years of age. Measles deaths in sub-Saharan

Africa (56,000) and Southern Asia (53,000) accounted

for 89 per cent of the estimated total global measles

deaths during 2012. Compared with estimated mortality

in the complete absence of a measles vaccination

programme, 13.8 million deaths were averted by measles

vaccination between 2000 and 2012.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 5

Improve

maternal

health

TargeT 5.a

Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015,

the maternal mortality ratio

Much more still needs to be done to reduce

maternal mortality

Maternal mortality ratio, 1990, 2000 and 2013

(Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, women aged 15–49)

Sub-Saharan Africa

510

Southern Asia

190

Oceania

190

Caribbean

300

230

190

290

390

360

530

830

990

Quick facts

Almost 300,000 women died

globally in 2013 from causes

related to pregnancy and

childbirth.

The proportion of deliveries in

developing regions attended by

skilled health personnel rose

from 56 to 68 per cent between

1990 and 2012.

In 2012, 40 million births in

developing regions were not

attended by skilled health

personnel, and over 32 million

of those births occurred in rural

areas.

52 per cent of pregnant women

had four or more antenatal care

visits during pregnancy in 2012,

an increase from 37 per cent in

1990.

South-Eastern Asia

320

140

220

Latin America

130

Western Asia

130

Northern Africa

160

110

Caucasus and Central Asia

Eastern Asia

Developing regions

430

230

World

380

210

1990

200

330

370

400

2000

600

2013

800

1000

2015 target

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Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio dropped by 45 per

cent between 1990 and 2013, from 380 to 210 deaths

per 100,000 live births. However, this still falls far short

of the MDG target to reduce the maternal mortality ratio

by three quarters by 2015. In 2013 alone, an estimated

289,000 women died during pregnancy, childbirth, or

within 42 days of termination of the pregnancy, from

causes (excluding accidental or incidental causes)

related to—or aggravated by—pregnancy or its

management.

Despite progress in all world regions, the maternal

mortality ratio in developing regions—230 maternal

deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013—was fourteen

times higher than that of developed regions, which

recorded only 16 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births

in 2013. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest maternal

mortality ratio of developing regions, with 510 deaths per

100,000 live births, followed by Southern Asia, Oceania

and the Caribbean, each registering 190 maternal deaths

per 100,000 live births, and then by South-Eastern Asia.

In other developing regions, maternal death has become

a rare event nowadays, with less than 100 deaths for

every 100,000 live births. Most of the maternal deaths in

2013 took place in sub-Saharan Africa (62 per cent) and

Southern Asia (24 per cent).

There remain extreme differences in maternal mortality

among countries. For example, Sierra Leone has the

highest maternal mortality rate, with 1,100 maternal

deaths per 100,000 live births, while Belarus has a rate

of 1 maternal death per 100,000 live births. Almost one

third of all global maternal deaths are concentrated in

two populous countries: India, with an estimated 50,000

maternal deaths (17 per cent), and Nigeria, with an

estimated 40,000 maternal deaths (14 per cent).

Most maternal deaths are preventable. There are

well-known health-care solutions for the prevention

and handling of complications. For instance, uterotonic

commodities and magnesium sulphate can prevent

and/or manage common complications such as bleeding

during childbirth and hypertensive disorders caused

by pregnancy. There must be a concerted effort to

ensure universal access to both skilled antenatal care

and effective interventions, enhanced to include access

to family planning, and information and services for

reproductive health, especially in vulnerable populations.

Monitoring efforts have to be strengthened to ensure

that effective action is taken.

More than two thirds of babies in

developing regions are delivered by skilled

health personnel, but rural areas lag behind

Proportion of deliveries attended by skilled health

personnel, 1990, 2000 and 2012 (Percentage)

Southern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caribbean

South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia

Northern Africa

Caucasus and Central Asia

Eastern Asia

100

Developing regions

World

1990

2000

2012

100

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One critical strategy for reducing maternal morbidity and

mortality is ensuring that every baby is delivered with the

assistance of a skilled health attendant (medical doctor,

nurse or midwife). A birth attendant with the necessary

training and medicines can administer interventions to

prevent or treat life-threatening complications such as

heavy bleeding, or refer a patient to a higher level of care.

In developing regions, skilled health personnel attended

68 per cent of deliveries in 2012 compared to only 56 per

cent in 1990. Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa—

two regions that have had the lowest rates of deliveries

attended by skilled professionals—have increased

attendance by 10 percentage points or more since 2000.

Despite improvements in access to maternal health

care, there are still large disparities between urban and

rural areas. In developing regions, the urban-rural gap

in the proportion of births attended by a skilled health

professional narrowed merely from 33 to 31 percentage

points between 2000 and 2012. Over 32 million of the

40 million births not attended by skilled health personnel

in 2012 occurred in rural areas.

TargeT 5.B

Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

Most pregnant women in developing regions see a skilled health provider at least once—

only half of them get the recommended four antenatal checkups

Health care during pregnancy is essential to ensure

the normal, healthy evolution of the pregnancy and to

prevent, detect or predict potential complications during

the pregnancy or delivery. Good quality care must be

provided by skilled health personnel equipped to detect

potential complications and provide the necessary

attention or referral. The proportion of women in

developing regions who were attended at least once

during their pregnancy by skilled health-care personnel

increased from 65 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in

2012. In most developing regions, about 80 per cent of

pregnant women visited a skilled health-care provider at

least once, except in Southern Asia, where only 72 per

cent of women received this care.

The World Health Organization has recommended a

minimum of four antenatal care visits to ensure the

well-being of mothers and newborns. During these

visits, women should receive—at least—a minimum care

package, and be monitored for warning signs during

their pregnancy. Notwithstanding, only 52 per cent of

pregnant women had four or more antenatal care visits

during pregnancy in 2012, albeit an increase from 37

per cent in 1990. Clearly, women in developing regions

continue to face challenges in regular access to health

care during pregnancy. Substantial differences in access

to antenatal care are noticeable across regions. In the

Caribbean and South-Eastern Asia, 80 per cent of

pregnant women reported at least four antenatal care

visits in 2012, compared to 50 per cent in sub-Saharan

Africa, and only 36 per cent in Southern Asia.

Proportion of women aged 15–49 attended

four or more times by any provider during pregnancy,

1990, 2000 and 2012 (Percentage)

Southern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

South-Eastern Asia

Developing regions

1990

2000

2012

100

Caribbean

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Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Adolescent childbearing has declined but

remains very high in some regions

Number of births to women aged 15–19,

1990, 2000 and 2011 (per 1,000 women)

Sub-Saharan Africa

123

121

117

Latin America and the Caribbean

Oceania

Southern Asia

Western Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Northern Africa

Eastern Asia

Developed regions

Developing regions

1990

2000

100

2011

120

140

Early childbearing is associated not only with health

risks to both the young mother and her child, but also

with missed opportunities at school and work, and the

consequent intergenerational transmission of poverty.

Therefore, reducing early childbearing can impact the

achievement of other Millennium Development Goals on

poverty, education, gender equality and child mortality.

The number of births to adolescent girls aged 15–19

declined across all world regions between 1990 and

2011. In Southern Asia, the birth rate dropped from 88

to 50 births per 1,000 girls, which was accompanied

by an increase in school participation, an increase in

the demand for contraception, and a decrease in the

proportion of adolescents who married. However, the

birth rate dropped only slightly in sub-Saharan Africa,

and remained at 117 births per 1,000 girls in 2011, a much

higher rate than in other regions. The adolescent birth

rate also stayed high in Latin America and the Caribbean,

at 76 births per 1,000 girls in 2011.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Contraceptive use has increased but gaps persist in meeting the demand for family planning

Proportion of women aged 15–49, married or in union, who have a demand for family planning, who are using any method

of contraception, and who have an unmet need for family planning, 1990 and 2012 (Percentage)

100

1990 2012

Sub-Saharan

Africa

1990 2012

Oceania

1990 2012

Southern

Asia

1990 2012

Northern

Africa

1990 2012

Western

Asia

1990 2012

Caucasus Latin America

South-Eastern

and

Asia

and the

Central Asia

Caribbean

1990 2012

Eastern

Asia

1990 2012

Developing

regions

25.1

24.6

Contraceptive prevalence

Unmet need for family planning

Total demand for family planning = sum of contraceptive prevalence and unmet need for family planning

The use of contraception in developing regions has

increased, due—in part—to improved access to safe,

affordable and effective methods of contraception. In

sub-Saharan Africa, the proportion of women between

the ages of 15 and 49, married or in union, who were

using any method of contraception, doubled between

1990 and 2012 from 13 per cent to 26 per cent. In

Southern Asia, the proportion increased from 39 per

cent to 57 per cent during the same period.

The increase in the prevalence of contraceptive use

in developing regions between 1990 and 2012 was

100

accompanied by a decline, from 17 per cent to 12 per

cent, in the unmet need for family planning. This unmet

need for family planning was highest in sub-Saharan

Africa, whereas the total demand for family planning

there was lower than in any other region. In 2012, 25 per

cent of women between the ages of 15 and 49, married

or in union and residing in this region, reported the desire

to delay or avoid pregnancy, but had not used any form

of contraception. Large differences in contraceptive

use between urban and rural residents, rich and poor

households, and the educated and uneducated have

persisted in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Goal 5: Improve maternal health

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 6

Combat

HIV/AIDS,

malaria and

other diseases

TargeT 6.a

Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of

HIV/AIDS

There are still too many new cases

of HIV infection

HIV incidence rate (Estimated number of new HIV infections

per year per 100 people aged 15-49), 2001 and 2012

Southern Africa*

1.02

Central Africa*

0.29

Eastern Africa*

0.36

0.21

West Africa*

0.16

North Africa*

0.01

0.41

0.63

1.98

Quick facts

Almost 600 children died every

day of AIDS-related causes in

2012.

Antiretroviral medicines were

delivered to 9.5 million people in

developing regions in 2012.

Malaria interventions saved

the lives of three million young

children between 2000 and

2012.

Between 1995 and 2012,

tuberculosis treatment saved

22 million lives.

Caribbean

0.12

0.05

South-Eastern Asia and Oceania

0.04

0.03

Latin America

0.03

Southern Asia

0.03

0.02

Caucasus and Central Asia

0.02

Eastern Asia

0.01

Western Asia

< 0.01

0.01

Developed regions

0.03

Developing regions

0.10

0.06

0.00

2001

0.50

2012

1.00

1.50

2.00

* The composition of the subregions of Africa is shown on page 55 in the section

on regional groupings.

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Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Globally, the number of new HIV (human

immunodeficiency virus) infections per 100 adults

(aged 15 to 49) declined by 44 per cent between 2001

and 2012. Southern Africa and Central Africa, the two

regions with the highest incidence, saw sharp declines

of 48 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively. Still, there

were an estimated 2.3 million cases of people of all ages

newly infected and 1.6 million deaths from AIDS-related

causes. Sub-Saharan Africa was the region where 70

per cent—1.6 million cases—of the estimated number of

new infections in 2012 occurred.

There were an estimated 35.3 million people living with

HIV worldwide, a record high registered in 2012, as new

HIV infections continued to exceed the number of AIDS-

related deaths and as a record number of people have

been receiving antiretroviral therapy, keeping them alive

longer. There has been a rapid decline in AIDS-related

mortality among children, due to effective interventions

to prevent mother-to-child transmission. Nevertheless,

about 210,000 children died of AIDS-related causes in

2012, compared to 320,000 in 2005.

risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted

infections before it is too late.

Proportion of women and men aged 15–24

in sub-Saharan Africa with comprehensive knowledge

of HIV transmission and reporting condom use at last

higher-risk sex, 2006–2012 (Percentage)

Many young people do not know enough

about HIV and continue with risky

behaviour

Risky behaviour and insufficient knowledge about HIV

remain at alarmingly high levels among youth in some

regions. In areas where most new HIV infections are

transmitted through sex, practicing safe sex is the best

way of reducing the chance of contracting the virus. At

the global level, the decline in new HIV infections since

2001 is testimony to the effectiveness of prevention

efforts. However, there has been no substantial decline

in the past decade in new HIV infections among young

people between 15 and 24 years old, despite special

efforts targeting that group.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the region most affected by

the HIV epidemic, only 39 per cent of young men and

28 per cent of young women aged between 15 and 24 had

comprehensive knowledge of HIV. In the same region,

condom use among young men and young women who

had higher-risk sex reached 57 per cent and 37 per cent,

respectively. These rates were far below the 95 per cent

target agreed at the United Nations General Assembly

Special Session on HIV and AIDS in 2001.

There are signs in several countries of an increase in

risky sexual behaviour, such as decreased condom use

and/or increased number of sexual partners. Efforts to

provide accurate, HIV-related information and services

to mitigate the spread of HIV need to be intensified.

Young people must understand early in life the ongoing

Comprehensive

knowledge of HIV

Women 15–24

Men 15–24

Condom use

at last higher-risk sex

Almost 18 million children lost either one

parent or both to AIDS

In 2012, there were an estimated 17.8 million children

aged 0 to 17 years globally who had lost either one

parent, or both, to AIDS. Efforts by national programmes

and global partners to mitigate the impact of AIDS on

households, communities and children have intensified.

These investments have ensured continuity of care for

children and their families and have achieved near-parity

in the school attendance of orphans and non-orphans

aged 10 to 14 years. However, more needs to be done to

provide comprehensive protection, care and support to

all children living with HIV and households affected by

HIV.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

TargeT 6.B

Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

Antiretroviral therapy has saved 6.6 million lives since 1995 and expanding coverage can

save many more

Actual and projected number of people receiving

antiretroviral therapy, developing regions, 2003–2015

(Millions)

Assuming the current momentum can be maintained,

the world would be on track to reaching its objective of

having 15 million people on ART by the end of 2015, as

agreed at the United Nations General Assembly Special

Session on HIV and AIDS in June 2011. Not only must

there continue to be the political commitment and the

mobilization of communities, but also the domestic and

international funding needed in order to heighten the

delivery of antiretroviral therapy around the globe.

New HIV-treatment guidelines provided by the World

Health Organization have called for earlier treatment of

HIV and the immediate treatment of certain groups—

such as HIV-positive pregnant women, children under

age five, and people with HIV-associated tuberculosis

and Hepatitis B. These new recommendations

have meant that the number of people eligible for

antiretroviral treatment increased from 15.4 million to

27.5 million in developing regions. Currently, only 30

per cent of people living with HIV are covered. These

guidelines have not only opened new opportunities

for the treatment and prevention of HIV, but have also

challenged countries to intensify their HIV responses.

Eligibility and access to antiretroviral therapy of people

living with HIV according to 2013 WHO guidelines,

developing regions, 2012 (Percentage)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Southern Asia

South-Eastern Asia and Oceania

Other

Projection

14%

Access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy (ART)

has been increasing dramatically over recent years,

saving ever more lives. In 2012, an additional 1.6 million

people—the largest annual increase ever—received

treatment. A total of 9.5 million people in developing

regions were receiving treatment in 2012. Sub-Saharan

Africa had both the largest share of people living with

HIV and the largest increase in the number of people

receiving antiretroviral therapy. ART averted 6.6 million

HIV- and AIDS-related deaths worldwide between 1995

and 2012, including 5.4 million deaths in developing

regions.

30%

56%

On antiretroviral therapy

Not on antiretroviral therapy

Not eligible for antiretroviral therapy

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Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

By December 2012, over 900,000 pregnant women

living with HIV globally were receiving antiretroviral

prophylaxis or treatment. Coverage of antiretroviral

programmes for the prevention of mother-to-child

transmission (excluding the less-effective single dose

nevirapine

regimen) increased from 57 per cent in 2011 to

62 per cent in 2012.

The overall number of people receiving antiretroviral

therapy masks some important disparities in access

between populations. Treatment programmes are

not reaching enough children, adolescents and key

populations that face high risk of HIV infection, such as

sex workers, people who inject drugs, and men who have

sex with men.

TargeT 6.C

Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

With more than three million lives saved in the past decade, the world is on track to

achieving the malaria target, but great challenges remain

Between 2000 and 2012, the substantial expansion

of malaria interventions led to a 42 per cent decline in

malaria mortality rates globally. New figures now show

that, during that time, an estimated 3.3 million deaths

were averted, far more than previously believed. About

90 per cent of those averted deaths—3 million—were

children under age five in sub-Saharan Africa, thereby

contributing substantially to the reduction in child

mortality. Although malaria surveillance systems in most

high-burden countries are weak, the latest trend analysis

did indicate that the world was on track to achieving its

MDG malaria target fully.

The fight against malaria requires sustained political

and financial commitment from both the international

community and affected countries, as an estimated

3.4 billion people are still at risk of infection. In 2012,

about 207 million cases of malaria occurred around the

world, and the disease killed about 627,000 people, 80

per cent of them children under age five. The disease

has remained concentrated in seventeen countries

where about 80 per cent of the world’s malaria deaths

occur. Two countries—the Democratic Republic of the

Congo and Nigeria—account for 40 per cent of malaria

mortality worldwide.

Mosquito control interventions—including the

distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) and

programmes to expand indoor residual spraying—have

to be more widespread. Between 2004 and 2013, more

than 700 million bed nets were delivered to countries

in sub-Saharan Africa. However, only an estimated 36

per cent of the population living in malaria-risk areas in

sub-Saharan Africa were sleeping under an ITN in 2013.

Pregnant women and children continue to be the ones

most at risk. In Benin, Madagascar, Rwanda and the

United Republic of Tanzania, over 70 per cent of children

under age five slept under an ITN in 2012, whereas

this was the case for only about 20 per cent or less of

children under age five in Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and

Niger.

Preventive therapy, prompt diagnosis and effective

and timely treatment can prevent fatal outcomes.

Artemisinin-based combination therapy, or ACT, is

the most effective medication for infections caused

P. falciparum,

the most lethal malaria parasite. The

number of ACT treatment courses delivered to endemic

countries rose from 11 million in 2005 to 331 million

in 2012, and sales of rapid diagnostic tests in these

countries increased from 200,000 units to 205 million

units during this time. As a result, testing and treatment

rates improved substantially.

The past ten years have shown just how powerful and

cost-effective existing public health interventions can

be, in reducing the malaria burden and saving lives to

bring the malaria target within reach. Yet, millions of

people still lack access to such programmes. The annual

resource requirements to prevent, diagnose and treat

malaria globally are estimated at $5.1 billion. In 2012,

the world fell $2.6 billion short of that goal, threatening

progress in the worst-hit African countries, in particular.

Without sustained control interventions, predictable

financing, and strategic investments in strengthening

surveillance systems, malaria outbreaks and resurgence

remain a real threat. Emerging resistance to antimalarial

drugs and insecticides also gives cause for concern.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Proportion of children under age ve sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, selected countries, by regions,*

2010–2012 (Percentage)

100

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Eastern Africa

Southern Africa

West Africa

* The composition of the subregions of Africa is shown on page 55 in the section on regional groupings.

The number of new cases and deaths from tuberculosis is falling, bringing the target

within reach

In 2012, there were an estimated 8.6 million additional

cases of tuberculosis and a total 11.0 million people

living with the disease. Globally, the number of new

tuberculosis cases per 100,000 people has continued to

fall, with a decline of about 2 per cent in 2012 compared

to 2011. If this trend is sustained, the MDG target

of halting the spread and reversing the incidence of

tuberculosis will be achieved. The rate of decline in the

incidence of tuberculosis has been very slow. Well over

2 billion people are estimated to have been infected by

mycobacterium tuberculosis

in their past. The lack of an

effective strategy—such as a post-exposure vaccine to

prevent the reactivation of tuberculosis in those already

infected—has limited the impact of tuberculosis control.

In 2012, an estimated 1.3 million people died from the

disease, of whom 320,000 were HIV-positive. The

number of deaths from tuberculosis per 100,000 people

(excluding HIV-positive people) has been falling in most

regions. Current projections suggest that the Stop TB

Partnership target of halving 1990 mortality rates by

2015 could be achieved both at the global level and in

several regions.

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Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Estimated number of new tuberculosis cases per 100,000

population including people who are HIV-positive,

1990–2012

180

160

140

120

100

The implementation of successful

treatment strategies against tuberculosis

has saved millions of lives, but more needs

to be done

In 2012, 6.1 million people were officially notified that

they had tuberculosis, two-thirds of the estimated

total number of new cases. A total of 87 per cent of

patients diagnosed in 2011 were treated successfully,

thereby exceeding the target of 85 per cent for the

fourth consecutive year. Between 1995 and 2012,

the cumulative total of tuberculosis patients treated

successfully was 56 million, saving 22 million lives. This

success has been due to the intensive implementation

of the Stop TB Strategy launched in 2006 and its

predecessor, the Directly Observed Treatment Short

Course (DOTS).

Despite such good progress, much more needs to

be done. One-third of newly diagnosed tuberculosis

patients may not have received proper treatment. Only

one-third of the estimated 300,000 multi-drug-resistant

cases among notified TB cases in 2012 were diagnosed

and treated according to international guidelines. Many

HIV-positive tuberculosis patients do not know their HIV

status. Furthermore, almost half of those HIV-positive

tuberculosis patients who do know their HIV status

have not yet accessed antiretroviral treatment. A great

challenge is to bridge the funding gap, which—despite

the increases in funding over the past decade, as well

as substantial financing from the Global Fund in many

countries—has remained very large.

Incidence trend

Range of estimates

Estimated number of deaths due to tuberculosis per

100,000 population excluding people who are HIV-positive,

1990–2012

Mortality trend

Range of estimates

Target

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 7

Ensure

environmental

sustainability

TargeT 7.a

Integrate the principles of sustainable development into

country policies and programmes and reverse the loss

of environmental resources

Millions of hectares of forest are lost every year,

threatening this valuable asset

There were around 13 million hectares of forest lost worldwide

each year between 2000 and 2010, either through devastation by

natural causes or because the land was converted to other land

uses. Urbanization and the expansion of large-scale commercial

agriculture were the main causes of deforestation at the global level.

Afforestation and the natural expansion of forests have reduced

the net loss of forest from an average of 8.3 million hectares

annually in the 1990s to an average of 5.2 million hectares

annually between 2000 and 2010. This has been due—for the

most part—to the measures taken by countries such as Brazil,

Chile, China, Costa Rica, Rwanda and Viet Nam to redress

deforestation and manage their forests sustainably.

Quick facts

Global emissions of carbon

dioxide (CO

) have increased by

almost 50 per cent since 1990.

Protected ecosystems covered 14

per cent of terrestrial and coastal

marine areas worldwide by 2012.

Over 2.3 billion more people have

gained access to an improved

source of drinking water since

1990, but 748 million people

still draw their water from an

unimproved source.

Between 1990 and 2012, almost

2 billion people obtained access

to improved sanitation. However,

1 billion people still resort to open

defecation.

One-third of urban residents in

developing regions still live in

slums.

Deforestation decreases biodiversity and access to clean water,

and increases soil erosion and the release of carbon into the

atmosphere. It often results in the loss of this major economic

asset and, in developing countries, of the livelihood opportunities

for rural communities, indigenous peoples and women.

Global greenhouse gas emissions continue their

upward trend

Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO

) have continued their

upward trend, increasing by 2.6 per cent between 2010 and 2011.

Global emissions of CO

reached 32.2 billion metric tons in 2011,

a 48.9 per cent rise above their 1990 level. The growth in CO

emissions accelerated after 2000, with emissions increasing by 35

per cent from 2000 to 2011, compared to 10 per cent from 1990

to 2000. This has been due mostly to the fast growth in emissions

from developing regions.

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Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO

), 1990, 2010 and 2011*

(Billions of metric tons)

Eastern Asia

3.0

9.0

9.7

Southern Asia

1.0

2.8

2.9

Latin America and the Caribbean

1.0

1.7

1.8

Africa

0.7

1.2

Developed regions

14.9

13.6

13.3

The world has almost eliminated ozone-

depleting substances

Global consumption of ozone-depleting substances

(ODS) decreased by over 98 per cent between 1986 and

2013. Developed regions succeeded in reducing their

consumption of ODS within the ten years subsequent

to 1986, whereas the reduction in consumption in

developing regions became noticeable only after 2000,

after they had assumed their obligations. All countries had

stopped the use of major ozone-depleting substances by

2010 and any remaining ODS will be phased out gradually

during the next two decades. These achievements are

the result of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that

Deplete the Ozone Layer, an environmental treaty agreed

in 1987 and ratified universally. Compliance-monitoring

and funding to developing countries were key factors in its

success. Some issues have remained, such as exempted

uses of ozone-depleting substances and contending with

illegal trade.

Ozone-depleting substances are greenhouse gases. It

has been estimated that the Montreal Protocol averted

greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 135

billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Developing regions

6.7

17.8

18.9

World

21.6

31.4

32.2

1990

2010

2011

Consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODSs),

1986–2012 (Thousands of metric tons)

1,600

1,400

* Data for 2011 are preliminary estimates and the breakdown for some MDG

regions is not available.

Average per capita emissions in developed regions have

remained substantially higher than those of developing

regions. Developed regions’ average emissions were

about 11 metric tons of CO

per person per year in 2011,

compared to about 3 metric tons in developing regions,

although there were wide variations between regions.

Emissions in 2011 per unit of economic output, however,

were higher in developing than in developed regions: 0.4

versus 0.3 kilograms of CO

, respectively, per dollar of

economic output.

Containing the growth in global emissions remains

a challenge. Negotiations to address this challenge

are ongoing under the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change. The objective is to

forge “a protocol, another legal instrument or an

agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention

applicable to all Parties” by the end of 2015, to be

concluded at the UNFCCC conference in Paris in

December 2015.

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

Developed regions

Developing regions

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Renewable water resources are becoming

more and more scarce

Renewable water resources in Northern Africa and the

Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia have withdrawal

rates exceeding 75 per cent, the limit of that which is

considered sustainable. The remaining part of Western

Asia, as well as Southern Asia and Central Asia, have

withdrawal rates around 50 per cent. This is close to the

threshold of 60 per cent at which physical water scarcity

becomes a concern, both in the lives of people and for

the environment: ecosystems become strained and not

all users get the desired amount of water at all times.

Other regions withdraw less than 25 per cent of their

renewable water resources, which is the threshold up to

which water resources are considered to be abundant.

However, these regional values mask huge differences

within regions and also within countries. For example,

many people in Australia and China live in areas of

serious water scarcity, although each country has

enough renewable water resources overall.

Proportion of renewable water resources withdrawn,

around 2008 (Percentage)

Northern Africa

Western Asia

Caucasus and Central Asia

Southern Asia

Eastern Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Oceania

0.06

Developed regions

Developing regions

World

100

TargeT 7.B

Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010,

a significant reduction in the rate of loss

Protected areas are increasing, thus

helping to safeguard natural resources

Terrestrial and marine areas protected,

1990, 2000 and 2012 (Percentage)

Caucasus and Central Asia

2.8

3.0

3.6

Oceania

0.6

1.3

4.0

Southern Asia

5.1

5.7

6.1

Northern Africa

2.9

3.7

6.9

South-Eastern Asia

4.4

6.9

9.4

Western Asia

3.7

14.4

14.7

Sub-Saharan Africa

10.7

11.5

15.2

Eastern Asia

11.5

14.4

15.4

Latin America and the Caribbean

8.7

13.9

20.3

Developed regions

9.1

12.3

14.0

Developing regions

7.8

10.5

13.8

World

8.3

11.3

14.0

0.0

1990

5.0

10.0

2000

15.0

20.0

2012

25.0

Water resources are still abundant

Water scarcity is approaching

Sustainable limits have been exceeded

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Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

According to the latest estimates, at least 14 per cent

of terrestrial and coastal marine areas (up to 12 nautical

miles) are protected. Such areas conserve biological

diversity and produce many goods and services—such

as food and water, climate control, crop pollination and

recreational benefits.

The area under protection in many world regions

has increased substantially. In Latin America and the

Caribbean, protected area coverage rose from 8.7 per cent

to 20.3 per cent between 1990 and 2012. Also, Western

Asia expanded the area under protection substantially,

from 3.7 per cent in 1990 to 14.7 per cent in 2012.

Human existence depends on the services and natural

resources that protected areas seek to maintain or

enhance. The Convention on Biological Diversity,

recognizing the importance of protected areas, has set a

protection target of at least 17 per cent coverage of global

terrestrial areas and 10 per cent coverage of coastal

and marine areas by 2020, through a global protected

area network that is effectively and equitably managed,

ecologically representative and that safeguards areas

of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem

services. Currently, protected areas cover only 14.6

per cent of the earth’s land areas and 9.7 per cent of its

coastal marine areas (up to 12 nautical miles). Renewed

endeavours will be required to reach the protection

targets set under the Convention.

TargeT 7.C

Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population

without sustainable access to safe drinking

water and basic sanitation

Access to an improved drinking water

source has become a reality for 2.3 billion

people since 1990

Proportion of population using an improved drinking

water source, 1990 and 2012 (Percentage)

Oceania

Sub-Saharan Africa

Caucasus and Central Asia

South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia

Southern Asia

Northern Africa

Eastern Asia

Latin America and the Caribbean

Developed regions

Developing regions

World

1990

2012

2015 target

100

Many species are being driven closer to

extinction through declines in population

and distribution

The Red List Index shows that, overall, species are

declining in population and distribution and, hence,

moving faster towards extinction. The Index measures

trends in the overall extinction risk of sets of species, and

is compiled by the International Union for Conservation

of Nature and its partners. It is now available for all

the world’s birds (10,000 species), mammals (4,500

species), amphibians (5,700 species) and warm-water

reef-building corals (700 species).

Biological diversity provides many different ecosystem

services upon which human lives and livelihoods depend.

For example, many studies have shown that declines or

absences of species that pollinate crops lead to reduced

crop productivity and value. A recent analysis of the Red

List Index revealed declining population and distribution

trends and increasing extinction risk of pollinator bird

and mammal species—a result likely to be mirrored by

insect pollinators. More needs to be done to reverse

these trends, reduce extinction rates and, hence,

safeguard the benefits species provide to society.

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In 2012, the proportion of the world’s population with

access to an improved drinking water source was 89 per

cent, up from 76 per cent in 1990. The target of halving

the proportion of people without access to an improved

source had already been achieved in 2010, five years

ahead of schedule. Over 2.3 billion more people gained

access to an improved source of drinking water between

1990 and 2012, out of which there were 1.6 billion people

who had gained access to a piped drinking water supply

on the premises—the highest level of service, associated

with the best health outcomes.

Eastern Asia, Southern Asia and South-Eastern Asia

recorded the largest increases in the proportion of the

population using an improved drinking water source, with

rises of 24, 19 and 18 percentage points, respectively.

In sub-Saharan Africa, where the initial coverage had

been low, the proportion of the population with access

to an improved drinking water source increased by 16

percentage points between 1990 and 2012, despite

significant population growth.

Many people still rely on unsafe water

sources

There were 748 million people still relying on unsafe

drinking water sources in 2012, of which 173 million

obtained their drinking water straight from rivers,

streams or ponds. The remaining population relied on

unprotected, open wells or poorly protected natural

springs. Forty-five countries in the world were not on

track to meet the MDG drinking water target.

Additionally, those populations using an improved

drinking water source may not necessarily have safe

water. Many improved facilities are microbiologically

contaminated. Furthermore, water is not easily

accessible to many households, especially in sub-

Saharan Africa. Many people, usually women or young

girls, often need to join long queues or walk long

distances to get to an improved water source.

Proportion of population by access to drinking water

sources, 2012 (Percentage)

100

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Surface water

Unimproved sources

Improved, faecally contaminated

Improved, no faecal indicator bacteria

Note: Estimates based on a systematic analysis of 345 studies

containing information on drinking water quality.

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Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Over a quarter of the world’s population

has gained access to improved sanitation

since 1990, yet a billion people still resort

to open defecation

Population by sanitation practices, 1990, 2000 and 2012

(Billions)

1990

Open defecation

Unimproved

Shared

Improved

1.3

1.0

1.1

0.3

2.6

0.5

3.4

People in rural areas, the poor

and minorities have less access to both

improved water and sanitation

Lack of improved water and sanitation facilities is

predominantly a rural and poverty-related phenomenon.

Seven out of ten people without access to improved

sanitation facilities live in rural areas. The rich in

urban areas are more likely to have piped water on

the premises, or toilets connected to a sewer system,

whereas the poor often use communal sources or need

to buy their water from vendors, share public facilities or

rely on pit latrines. In addition to rural–urban and wealth-

related disparities, household surveys have shown

much lower coverage within countries for some areas,

minorities and other disadvantaged groups.

The resolution on the human right to water and

sanitation adopted by the United Nations General

Assembly in 2010 called for universal coverage,

highlighting the need to address, and monitor,

inequalities in access to clean water and proper

sanitation.

1.0

1.2

0.8

4.5

2000

2012

Between 1990 and 2012, almost 2 billion additional

people gained access to an improved sanitation facility,

one that separates people from faeces hygienically.

Despite the large increase in sanitation coverage, from

49 per cent in 1990 to 64 per cent in 2012, it seems

unlikely that the MDG target of 75 per cent coverage

will be met by 2015. In 2012, 2.5 billion people did not

use an improved sanitation facility. Much greater effort

and investment will be needed to redress inadequate

sanitation practices in the coming years.

In 2012, 1 billion people still resorted to open defecation,

a practice that needs to be brought to an end, as it poses

a huge risk to communities that are often poor and

vulnerable already. Open defecation is most prevalent

in Southern Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa.

The vast majority—82 per cent—of people practicing

open defecation now live in middle-income, populous

countries, such as India and Nigeria.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

TargeT 7.D

By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers

Although the MDG target has been met, the number of people living in slum conditions

is growing

Slums are characterized by the absence of basic

services, such as improved drinking water and adequate

sanitation, along with insecure tenure, non-durable

housing and overcrowding. Between 2000 and 2012,

more than 200 million slum dwellers gained access to

either improved water, improved sanitation, durable

housing or less crowded housing conditions. By 2012,

nearly 33 per cent of urban residents in developing

regions still lived in slums. Twelve years earlier, in 2000,

practically 40 per cent of urban residents in developing

regions had been in that situation.

Despite these advances, the number of slum dwellers

has continued to grow, due, in part, to the fast pace of

urbanization. The number of urban residents living in

slum conditions was estimated at 863 million in 2012,

compared to 760 million in 2000, and 650 million in

1990. The proportion of people living in slum conditions

in urban areas was particularly high in sub-Saharan

Africa (62 per cent) and, to a lesser extent, in Southern

Asia (35 per cent), compared to 24 per cent in Latin

America and the Caribbean, and 13 per cent in North

Africa. More efforts are needed to improve the lives

of the urban poor across the developing world, and to

reverse the trend whereby the number of people living in

slum conditions is increasing.

Urban population living in slums in developing countries,

1990–2012 (Millions and Percentage)

Millions

1,000

46.2

800

42.9

712

600

650

39.3

760

794

35.6

803

34.3

863

820

40.0

Percentage

50.0

32.6

32.7

30.0

400

20.0

200

10.0

1990

1995

2000 2005

2007

2010

2012

Urban population living in slums (left)

Proportion of urban population living in slums (right)

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Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

One answer to stopping slums from spreading is to build more streets

A well-planned city allocates between 25 per cent and

30 per cent of land to streets. Water and sewerage

systems are then usually designed along existing street

networks. Unplanned urban areas do not allot enough

space to streets, making it difficult for authorities to

provide basic water and sanitation services.

Less than 15 per cent of land was allocated to streets

in many urban settlements in Africa, Asia, and Latin

America and the Caribbean. This assessment is based

on data from geospatial information systems (GIS) and

satellite images of street networks in more than 100

cities around the world. In the 18 African cities included

in that study, 13 allocated less than 15 per cent of land to

streets. The same study showed that it was common in

the suburban areas of all cities for less than 10 per cent

of land to be allocated to streets, indicating widespread,

unplanned urban settlements.

New geospatial data can help to

address the slum problem better

Information on the elements of urban form and

structure—such as street networks, built-up and

non-built-up areas and urban density—allow the

development of effective urban policies to tackle

the lack of basic services in cities in developing

regions. Such information can be captured

nowadays using GIS and remote sensing. The

definition (and measurement) of slums should be

improved to include these elements, in order to

provide better policy guidance.

Proportion of land allocated to streets in selected cities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean,

city core and suburban areas, 2013 (Percentage)

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Goal 8

Develop

a global

partnership for

development

Official development assistance is now

at its highest level, reversing the decline

of the previous two years

Official development assistance (ODA), from OECD-DAC countries,

2000–2013 (Constant 2012 US$ billions)

140

120

100

Official development assistance

stood at $134.8 billion in 2013,

the highest level ever recorded.

80 per cent of imports from

developing countries enter

developed countries duty-free.

The debt burden on developing

countries remains stable at about

3 per cent of export revenue.

The number of Internet users in

Africa almost doubled in the past

four years.

30 per cent of the world’s youth

are digital natives, active online

for at least five years.

Net debt relief grants

Humanitarian aid

Multilateral ODA

Bilateral development projects, programmes and technical cooperation

Developed countries’ net official development assistance (ODA)

to developing countries in 2013 rose by 6.1 per cent in real terms

compared to 2012, after two years of falling volumes. Net ODA

from the members of the group of countries belonging to the

Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation

for Economic Co-operation and Development reached $134.8

billion, the highest level ever recorded. This represented 0.3 per

cent of developed countries’ combined gross national income.

Bilateral aid (excluding debt-relief grants and humanitarian

aid) rose by 2.3 per cent in real terms and core contributions to

multilateral organizations increased by 6.9 per cent.

A total of 17 out of 28 DAC member countries recorded an increase

in their allocations to ODA, while 11 reported a decrease. In 2013,

the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany,

Japan and France were the largest donors by volume. Denmark,

Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden continued to exceed the United

Nations ODA target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income, while

the United Kingdom met the ODA target for the first time.

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Quick facts

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Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Aid has also increased from non-DAC countries. The

United Arab Emirates’ net ODA reached 1.25 per cent of

gross national income, the highest ratio of any country

in 2013. Turkey increased its net ODA by 30 per cent in

real terms and Estonia and Russia by over 20 per cent

compared to 2012.

A recent DAC

Survey on Donors’ Forward Spending

Plans

projected a 2.4 per cent real increase in country

programmable aid in 2014, mainly due to continued

increases by some donors, and in soft loans from

multilateral organizations. Thereafter, it is expected to

remain stable. Country programmable aid excludes,

for example, items that are unpredictable by nature

(humanitarian aid and debt relief), that entail no

cross-border flows (e.g., administrative costs) or that

do not form part of cooperation agreements between

Governments. It is considered a good proxy of aid

recorded at the country level.

In 2011–2012, out of a total of $98.8 billion of sector-

allocable aid, aid worth $23.5 billion was focused on the

achievement of the Goal of gender equality and women’s

empowerment.

TargeT 8.B and 8.C

Address the special needs of the least

developed countries, landlocked developing

countries and small island developing States

Aid is shifting away from the poorest

countries

About one-third of the total donor aid flow has been

going in recent years to least developed countries

(LDCs). In 2012, the aid of DAC donors to LDCs

amounted to 0.09 per cent of their combined gross

national income, its lowest ratio since 2008.

Net bilateral aid to Africa (where 34 of the 48 LDCs are

located) fell by 5.6 per cent in 2013, to $28.9 billion in

real terms. The DAC survey suggests the likelihood of a

continued decline by 5 per cent in country programmable

aid to LDCs and low-income countries, particularly in

Africa, reflecting reduced access to grant resources on

which LDCs are highly dependent. The same survey

reveals an ongoing focus in the medium term on middle-

income countries—many with large populations living

in extreme poverty. It is most likely that aid to these

countries will be in the form of soft loans.

Net official development assistance from OECD-DAC

countries as a proportion of donors’ gross national income,

1990–2013 (Percentage)

0.40

0.35

0.30

0.25

0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00

Total ODA

ODA to LDCs

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

TargeT 8.a

Develop further an open, rule-based,

predictable, non-discriminatory trading and

financial system

Average tariffs have declined, but their

reduction has moderated

Average tariffs levied by developed countries on key

products exported by developing countries and least

developed countries (LDCs), 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2012

(Percentage ad valorem)

Exports by developing countries

Trade liberalization has slowed, while least

developed countries benefit from truly

preferential treatment

Proportion of developed country imports (excluding oil

and arms) from developing countries and least developed

countries (LDCs) admitted duty free, 1996–2012

(Percentage)

Clothing

Agricultural

goods

Textiles

Other goods

Exports by least developed countries

Least developed countries

Developing countries

Note: This indicator is subject to the influence of changes in export

structure and relative prices.

In 2012, 80 per cent of imports from developing

countries entered developed countries duty-free.

Between 1996 and 2004, following the completion of the

Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations in 1995,

the percentage of imports (excluding oil and arms) from

developing countries that entered developed countries

duty-free increased by an average of 2.5 percentage

points each year. A large proportion of the imports

that entered duty-free resulted from the multilateral

elimination of tariffs under most-favoured-nation

(MFN) treatment. After 2004, duty-free access granted

to imports from developing countries improved only

gradually and amounted to 0.5 additional percentage

points each year.

Duty-free access by exports from LDCs to developed

countries’ markets reached 84 per cent in 2012. Most

of the duty-free treatment—54 per cent—was truly

preferential and not the result of the MFN treatment

available to all exporters. The preference gap in favour of

LDCs has increased since 2010.

Clothing

1996

Agricultural

goods

2000

Textiles

2004

Other goods

2012

Note: Based on a fixed 1999–2001 export structure. The 2012 spike in average

tariffs for LDC clothing products is due to higher United States imports

from Asian LDCs and not to a change in nominal tariffs.

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Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Between 1996 and 2004, the average tariff applied by

developed countries to imports of clothing and textiles

from developing countries decreased, by 2.8 and

2.1 percentage points, respectively. During the period

from 2005 to 2012, the average tariff on those goods

dropped by less than 1 percentage point. The average

tariff on agricultural goods dropped by 1.3 percentage

points between 1996 and 2004, and by a further

1.4 percentage points by 2012.

Similarly, LDCs experienced reductions in average

tariffs on clothing and textiles between 1996 and 2004

which, however, did not continue in subsequent years.

One of the reasons was that many developed countries

already gave complete duty-free treatment on those

goods to most LDCs, leaving the indicator to show only

exceptions. In contrast, the average tariff on agricultural

goods of LDCs declined further after 2004, dropping to

less than 1 per cent, resulting in a preference margin of

almost 6.8 percentage points compared with competing

exports originating from other developing countries.

TargeT 8.D

Deal comprehensively with developing

countries’ debt

The debt burden of developing countries

is much lower than in 2000, but is not

declining further

External debt service payments as proportion of export

revenues, all developing countries, 2000–2012

(Percentage)

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0.0

7.8 7.8

6.8

4.1

3.6 3.8

12.0

11.4 11.5 11.1

3.0 3.0 3.1

Note: Data only cover the developing countries that report to the World Bank

Debtor Reporting System.

A country’s external debt burden affects its

creditworthiness and vulnerability to economic shocks.

In 2012, the debt burden of developing countries—

measured as a proportion of external debt service to

export revenue—was 3.1 per cent, similar to the level of

the preceding two years. This was much lower than in

2000, when the debt burden of developing countries was

equivalent to 12 per cent of their export revenue. Better

debt management, the expansion of trade and—for the

poorest countries—substantial debt relief have reduced

the burden of debt service.

The downward trend in debt ratio was interrupted briefly

in 2009 by the sharp fall in export revenue due to the

global financial crisis. However, as export earnings

rebounded, debt ratios resumed their downward

progression in 2010—with several regions’ ratios falling

below their 2008 levels—and have remained relatively

unchanged since then.

In 2011, Oceania and the small island developing States

experienced a jump in their debt-service–to-export ratios,

mostly due to the repayment of a $150 million bond

by Fiji. Not surprisingly, Oceania and the small island

developing States were also the regions with the largest

drop in their debt-service-to-export ratios in 2012, as Fiji’s

total public debt service returned to a more normal level.

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

There are 39 countries eligible for debt relief under the

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Of

these, 36 countries have reached their “decision point” and

have had future debt payments reduced by $57.3 billion (in

end-2012 net present value terms); the 35 countries that

have reached their “completion point” are receiving full

debt relief under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative.

External debt service payments as proportion

of export revenues, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Percentage)

Western Asia

8.0

7.8

6.6

Latin America and the Caribbean

6.7

6.1

6.6

Northern Africa

4.4

4.5

4.4

Sub-Saharan Africa

2.4

3.3

Southern Asia

2.8

2.5

3.0

South-Eastern Asia

3.1

2.8

2.5

Oceania

1.5

6.1

1.8

Caucasus and Central Asia

1.1

Eastern Asia

0.6

0.7

0.4

Small island developing States

6.6

9.5

8.2

Least developed countries

3.8

3.9

5.0

Developing regions

3.0

3.1

2010

2011

2012

TargeT 8.F

In cooperation with the private sector, make

available the benefits of new technologies,

especially information and communications

The use of modern information and

communications technology continues to

grow—with almost three billion people

online and seven billion mobile-cellular

subscriptions

Estimated number of mobile-cellular subscriptions,

Internet users and fixed-telephone subscriptions,

2005–2014 (Billions)

7.2

2.2

1.2

1.0

1.1

2.9

6.5

6.9

Mobile-cellular subscriptions

Internet users

Fixed-telephone subscriptions

Note: Data only cover the developing countries that report to the World Bank

Debtor Reporting System.

Close to three billion people—or 40 per cent of the world

population—will be using the Internet by the end of 2014.

More widely available information and communications

technology (ICT) networks and services, growing

content and applications, and falling ICT prices are

allowing increasing numbers of people to join the

global information society. While the number of fixed-

telephone subscriptions has been stagnating over the

past decade or more, mobile-cellular subscriptions have

continued to grow, especially in developing countries.

By the end of 2014, the number of mobile-cellular

subscriptions will reach almost seven billion globally

(with many people holding multiple mobile-phone

subscriptions).

lim

Population

in 2

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Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Two-thirds of the world’s Internet users are in developing

regions, where the number of Internet users doubled

in just five years between 2009 and 2014. In Africa,

almost 20 per cent of the population are online, up from

10 per cent in 2010. In 2014, Internet use penetration in

developing countries had grown by 8.7 per cent, twice

as fast as in the developed world where its usage rose by

3.3 per cent. Still, less than one-third of the developing

world population is online, compared to 78 per cent in

the developed world. Globally, more than four billion

people are not yet using the Internet—90 per cent of

whom are from the developing world—highlighting the

need for improving the accessibility and affordability of

Internet services.

Young people play an important role in driving the

information society, particularly in developing countries

where they represent a relatively large group within

the overall population. In 2012, there were around 363

million digital natives—persons aged 15–24 years with

at least five years of online experience. This cohort

corresponds to 30 per cent of the world’s youth and

5 per cent of the total world population. In developed

regions, 82 per cent of youth are digital natives. In

contrast, in developing countries, where many young

people only came online more recently, only 23 per cent

of youth are digital natives. However, within the next

five years, the population of digital natives in developing

countries will more than double, helping those countries

to drive their digital adoption agendas.

High-speed Internet access is soaring as broadband prices fall and mobile-broadband

networks expand rapidly

Number of active mobile-broadband subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants, 2007–2014

100

The rapid expansion of fixed- and mobile-broadband

services and the drop in broadband prices have been

major drivers of the information society. Almost all

countries in the world have launched at least third-

generation (3G) mobile-broadband services, and the

number of subscriptions has been growing rapidly. By

the end of 2014, there will be 32 mobile-broadband

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, almost double the

penetration rate in 2011. Mobile-broadband penetration

will stand at almost 84 per cent in developed countries,

compared with 21 per cent in developing countries.

Fixed-broadband penetration has been growing at a

slower rate than mobile-broadband but will reach almost

10 per cent globally by the end of 2014.

The price of broadband services has continued to drop.

Globally, between 2008 and 2012, fixed-broadband

prices fell by 82 per cent, with the biggest drop occurring

in developing countries. Nevertheless, broadband

services have been much more affordable in developed

than developing countries, where they are out of reach

for large parts of the population. Adding affordable

data plans to relatively inexpensive basic mobile voice

services is one strategy that would allow more people

in developing countries to benefit from access to the

Internet.

World

Developing countries

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

A note to the reader

Measuring progress towards the MDGs

Progress towards the eight Millennium Development

Goals is measured through 21 targets and 60 official

indicators.

This report presents an accounting to date

of how far the world has come in meeting the goals using

data available as of June 2014.

Most of the MDG targets have a deadline of 2015, using

1990 as the baseline against which progress is gauged.

Country data are aggregated at the subregional and

regional levels to show overall advances over time. The

composition of MDG regions and subregions is based

on UN geographical divisions, with some modifications

necessary to create—to the extent possible—groups of

countries for which a meaningful analysis can be carried

out. In addition to the MDG regional groupings, the report

also shows data for subregions in Africa, based on the

classification adopted by the United Nations Economic

Commission for Africa.

Although the aggregate figures

are a convenient way to track progress, the situation

of individual countries within a given region may vary

significantly from regional averages. Data for individual

countries, along with the composition of all regions and

subregions, are available at http://mdgs.un.org.

The basis for this analysis

Regional and subregional figures presented in this report

are compiled by members of the United Nations Inter-

Agency and Expert Group on MDG Indicators (IAEG).

In general, the figures are weighted averages of country

data, using the population of reference as a weight. For

each indicator, individual agencies were designated as

official providers of data and as leaders in developing

methodologies for data collection and analysis (see

page 56 for a list of contributing organizations). Data

are typically drawn from official statistics provided by

governments to the international agencies responsible

for the indicator. To fill data gaps, data for many of the

indicators are supplemented by or derived exclusively

from data collected through surveys sponsored and

carried out by international agencies.

These include many of the health indicators, which are

compiled, for the most part, from Multiple Indicator

Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health

Surveys (DHS). In some cases, countries may have

more recent data that have not yet become available

to the relevant specialized agency. In other cases,

countries do not produce the data required to compile

the indicator, and the responsible international agencies

estimate the missing values. Even when national data

are available, adjustments are often needed to ensure

international comparability. Data from international

sources, therefore, often differ from those available

within countries. The United Nations Statistics Division

maintains the official website of the IAEG and its

database (http://mdgs.un.org). In an effort to improve

transparency, the country data series in the database are

given colour codes to indicate whether the figures are

estimated or provided by national agencies; they are also

accompanied by metadata with a detailed description of

how the indicators are produced and the methodologies

used for regional aggregations.

The complete list of goals, targets and indicators is available

at http://mdgs.un.org.

Given the time lag between collecting data and analysing

them, few indicators can be compiled for the current

year. Most of them are based on data from earlier years—

generally up to 2012 or 2013.

The composition of these subregions is shown in the next

section “Regional groupings”.

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Regional groupings

Developed regions

Northern Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

South-Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia

Southern Asia

Western Asia

Caucasus & Central Asia

Oceania

Latin America & the Caribbean

This report presents data on progress towards the

Millennium Development Goals for the world as a whole

and for various country groupings. These are classified

as “developing” regions and “developed” regions.

The

developing regions are further broken down into the

subregions shown on the map above. These regional

groupings are based on United Nations geographical

divisions, with some modifications necessary to create,

to the extent possible, groups of countries for which a

meaningful analysis can be carried out. A complete list

of countries included in each region and subregion is

available at mdgs.un.org.

The designations employed and the presentation of

the material in the present publication do not imply the

expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of

the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the

legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its

authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers

or boundaries.

African subregions

For some MDG indicators, data are presented

separately for smaller subregions in Africa,

based on the classification adopted by the

United Nations Economic Commission for

Africa.

Since there is no established convention for the designation

“developed”

and

“developing”

countries or areas in the

United Nations system, this distinction is made for the

purposes of statistical analysis only.

North Africa

West Africa

Central Africa

Eastern Africa

Southern Africa

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The Millennium Development Goals Report 2014

Contributing agencies

Contributions on data and analysis for each target

presented under the eight goals were provided by

individual agencies as indicated below:

•

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Target 1.A: World Bank

Target 1.B: ILO

Target 1.C: FAO and UNICEF

Additional contribution: UNHCR

•

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Target 2.A: UNESCO

•

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Target 3.A: ILO, IPU, UNESCO and UN WOMEN

•

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Target 4.A: UNICEF, United Nations Population Division,

World Bank and WHO

•

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Target 5.A: UNFPA, UNICEF, United Nations

Population Division, World Bank and WHO

Target 5.B: UNFPA, UNICEF, and United Nations

Population Division

•

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Target 6.A: UNAIDS, UNICEF and WHO

Target 6.B: UNAIDS and WHO

Target 6.C: UNICEF and WHO

•

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Target 7.A: CDIAC, FAO, UNEP and UNFCCC

Target 7.B: IUCN and UNEP-WCMC

Target 7.C: UNICEF

Target 7.D: UN-Habitat

•

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

Target 8.A: ITC, UNCTAD and WTO

Target 8.B and 8.C: OECD

Target 8.D: World Bank

Target 8.F: ITU

For more information visit the UN Statistics Division

Millennium Development Goals website at

http://mdgs.un.org

Visit the UN Millennium Development Goals website at

www.un.org/millenniumgoals

Visit the UN Millennium Campaign Office website at

www.endpoverty2015.org

Photo credits:

Cover

Page 2

Page 9

Editor: Tessa Too-Kong

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The Millennium Development Goals: Report 2010

“The

Millennium Development Goals

have shown that we can make profound

differences in people’s lives.

The journey we started in the year 2000

has seen us build a solid foundation for

further progress.”

— UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

ISBN 978-92-1-101308-5

14-27027