Published on 21 June, the 2023 Atlas of Sustainable Development Goals by the World Bank presents valuable information and analysis regarding the advancements and challenges faced in pursuing sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The Atlas serves as an online tool that visually emphasises the significance of data in the execution of the 17 SDGs (an explanatory video can be found here). This is the fourth edition in the Atlas series and draws from information from the World Development Indicators database and across academia, international and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

It is the first time that the code, data and, crucially, the visualisations have been made public for all to use. Therefore, it also aims to provide people from all walks of life with a comprehensive resource to better understand the role of data in achieving these goals.

Particularly important to this release is its integration of data that shows the distributive effects of inequality stemming from recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine War, shifts in developmental aid and the ever-urgent issue of climate change.

At the halfway point of their implementation, the UN established the SDGs in 2015 to provide a universal roadmap for humanity and the environment to attain peace and prosperity by 2030. These goals are a collective effort to address pressing issues such as eliminating poverty, eradicating hunger, ensuring inclusive education, promoting gender equality, and mitigating climate change.