A set of charts below show the prospects of low-and middle-income countries, aggregated by region, for reaching six of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
Progress toward the MDGs for selected indicators was calculated using the latest available data point and comparing it to the contemporaneous point on a reference path connecting the 1990 value to the MDG target. The reference path was calculated assuming a constant, annual or geometric rate of change. To obtain reference paths that are asymptotically bounded, indicators for which the target is “100 percent” (primary completion rate, immunizations, access to water) were recast as differences from 100 percent, so that the target is to reduce the indicator to zero. Thus the reference paths for all indicators, except the ratio or girls to boys in school, are downward sloping.
Notes on charts displayed below:
- Countries in green made progress in the 1990s fast enough to attain the tar-get value in the specified time period (by 2005 for gender equality and by 2015 for all others). They are “likely” to achieve the goals.
- Countries in light green made progress, but too slowly to reach the goals in the
time specified. Continuing at the same rate, they will need as much as twice
the time as the “likely” countries to reach the goals. Rated “possible,” they
need to accelerate progress. - Countries in orange made still slower progress. They are “unlikely” to reach the
goals. To reach them, they will need to make progress at unprecedented rates. - Countries in red, conditions have worsened since 1990, or they currently
stand at very high maternal mortality and HIV/AIDS prevalence. They are
“very unlikely” to reach the goals. - And countries in gray lack adequate data to measure progress. Improvements
in the statistical systems of many countries are needed to provide a complete
and accurate picture of their progress.
