Paraguay and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

SDGPI's analysis for Paraguay situates the country within a global community on a shared path toward the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. Clearly defined, data-driven objectives and accompanying financial strategies can lead to dramatic improvements in the health and well-being of all Paraguayans.

SDGs in Paraguay: Identifying Gaps, Strategies, and Financing

SDGPI has delivered its reports advising the Paraguayan government on the country’s current status on each SDG, identifying policies to close existing gaps, and outlining an investment plan to fund those efforts to meet the goals. This process began with extensive monitoring work to establish Paraguay’s first SDG baseline at subnational level, which we then used which we then used to identify priority areas. Together, these analyses and scientific evidence formed the basis for a series of proposed policy and investment plans, as well as a fiscal blueprint to raise the funds for investment. The project culminated in policy proposals drawing on the most recent evidence and expert opinions. These span five critical areas where Paraguay is not on track to meet SDGs: obesity prevalence, teen pregnancy, deforestation, wastewater treatment, and R&D investments.

This project will not only inform domestic policy but also place Paraguay within the international network of countries on a shared path toward the 2030 Agenda. The SDG indicators provide Paraguay a common language from which to learn from other countries and share best practices, advancing reciprocal learning across the world.

Project Overview

The SDG Policy Initiative and SDSN launched the project in 2020 with a team of experienced scholars, statisticians and economists from around the globe.
In 2021, the team completed the process of creating a set of indicators along each of 16 SDGs (SDG 14, "Life Below Water," was excluded because Paraguay is landlocked).
With data collected and baselines set, Paraguay established targets
The SDGPI and SDSN team then developed policy recommendations based on proven solutions and the best available evidence
Based on the suggested policies, the team then developed cost estimates and proposed funding mechanisms

Paraguay's first Sustainable Development Report

In November 2021 SDSN launched the first Sustainable Development Report for Paraguay. The project came out of a year-long collaboration between SDGPI, SDSN, and Paraguay’s Finance Ministry with support from UNDP Paraguay. Read more on the key findings and the full report here.

SDG Index Score (0-100) in the Departments of Paraguay

The report presents an international SDG assessment that compares Paraguay’s performance to its regional peers in Latin America, but also presents a subnational SDG index and Dashboards for the country’s 17 departments and capital district.

Presentation of the Sustainable Development Report for Paraguay 2021, which contains an analysis of the progress of the country’s SDGs, at the national and departmental level.

The SDGs provide universal metrics to deeply understand a country's progress toward a sustainable future and the ability to compare that progress with other countries. Once a baseline is set and targets are created, all stakeholders can begin to move in the same direction.

<< This visual performance metric was created by the SDSN for the annual 2019 World Sustainable Development Report which covers all 193 member states of the UN.

Policy Recommendations

In July 2022, SDGPI and SDSN released policy recommendations focusing on five critical areas needing intervention: obesity prevalence, teen pregnancy, deforestation, wastewater treatment, and R&D investments. In each topic area, these suggestions consider the established baselines from the SDG Report and targets set by the Paraguayan government. To bridge the gaps between the baselines and targets, each set of policies looks to the most recent, data-driven impact evaluation to formulate sound programs to advance progress. Read the full Public Policy Recommendations here.

Example: Components of the Strategy for Public Policy to Prevent & Treat Obesity

This report presents a set of evidence-based policies for Paraguay to begin addressing the gaps identified between national goals and current conditions identified in the SDG baseline study.

Financing Strategy

While targeted strategies shown to have impact will be much more cost-effective , the policy recommendations still require funding. In November 2022, SDGPI’s final contribution addressed this need by proposing methods to finance the programs best suited to Paraguay. Suggestions range from fiscal reforms and administrative measures to private financing and international support. Public-private partnerships, reducing tax evasion, instituting corrective taxes, and instituting corrective taxes, and closer engagement with organization like the World Bank could each contribute to funding policy interventions. Read the full report on financing here.

Types and Examples of Strategies to Finance Programs to Address SDG Gaps

This report presents a strategy for Paraguay to finance the recommended interventions, assisting policymakers as they convert evidence-based advice into tangible change and sustainable growth.