Many of the indicators represent work in progress. In some cases observations are sparse and still being compiled, or serve as benchmarks rather than time series; in others they are not yet available or are not yet adequately collected. It is hoped that the monitoring of progress towards the Goals will stimulate more interest in collecting good data.
The Millennium Development Goals have accelerated demand for data and highlighted limitations in their availability and quality. Significant number of countries do not have enough data to track changes in poverty, child malnutrition and HIV/AIDS prevalence, and in most countries serious data quality issues exist in measuring maternal mortality and access to water and sanitation.
Country tables
There are 208 tables covering regions and countries with more than 30,000 population (or smaller countries that are World Bank members). They present timeseries data for 4 of the last 10 years, as available. In some cases the data are for earlier or later years than those stated. The selected indicators are the best available measures of progress towards the goals. For definitions, sources, and footnotes, click on the indicator name.
Goal tables, by region
Each of the eight Goal tables presents the relevant indicators for every country—in alphabetical order within regions. Tables here for Goal 8 – Global Partnership contain only the targets for developing countries, whereas the complete list of targets for this goal also includes some targets for the rich countries. The data is shown in Excel workbook format, where each sheet presents a different region and corresponding countries. The tables show an early year and the most recent year available. Click here for regional country lists.
Definition and Sources – For definitions of the MDG indicators, click here. A complete metadata of all MDG indicators has been by a UNDP Inter-Agency Working Group, including the World Bank, co-chaired by UNFPA, UNSD and UNDP. For each indicator the document provides i) definition; ii) target; (iii) rationale; (iv) method of computation; (v) sources of data; (vi) references; (vii) periodicity of measurement; (viii) gender and disaggregation issues; (ix) limitations of the indicator; and (x) national and international agencies directly concerned with the collection, compilation and/or dissemination of the data. To view the document, click here.
