Mizoram Tops SDG Index in Northeast, Arunachal and Assam Lag Behind

Mizoram has emerged as the best-performing state in the Northeast in the latest Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) North Eastern Region (NER) District Index 2024–25, released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) and UNDP.

The index, which evaluates 121 districts across all eight North Eastern states, places Hnahthial district of Mizoram at the top with a score of 81.43, while Longding in Arunachal Pradesh ranks lowest with 58.71.

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Tripura and Nagaland also performed strongly, with several districts ranking in the top ten.

However, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh feature at the lower end of the rankings.

The index categorises districts as Front Runners (score of 65–99) or Performers (score of 50–64), based on their composite scores across 82 indicators covering 15 SDG goals including health, education, gender equality, clean energy, climate action, and infrastructure.

Out of 121 districts, 103 districts are in the Front Runner category while 18 districts are ranked as Performers.

Mizoram leads the rankings with three districts—Hnahthial (Rank 1), Champhai (Rank 2), and Kolasib (Rank 9)—in the top ten.

The state’s performance reflects strong governance, investment in health and education, and sustainable public service delivery.

Tripura’s Gomati (Rank 3) and West Tripura (Rank 5) also scored highly, with the state showing the least intra-state disparity in the region—a mere 6.5 points separate its highest and lowest scoring districts.

Nagaland placed three districts—Mokokchung (Rank 4), Kohima (Rank 6), and Dimapur (Rank 10)—in the top ten, reflecting steady development across sectors.

Assam presents a mixed picture. While Dibrugarh secured a spot in the top 20 at Rank 17, most districts fell into the lower tier.

South Salmara-Mankachar, in western Assam, ranked 118th with a score of 59.71, tying with Pherzawl in Manipur, and narrowly ahead of Arunachal Pradesh’s Kamle and Longding districts.

The state’s intra-state disparities are sharp, with western districts such as Dhubri, Goalpara, Hailakandi, and Karimganj consistently underperforming.

These areas face chronic challenges in healthcare access, education, infrastructure, and resilience to floods, the report said.

Despite this, Nagaon emerged as a bright spot, ranking as the top district in the NER for SDG Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), hinting at industrial potential and better connectivity in central Assam.

Arunachal Pradesh has the lowest-ranked district in the region—Longding (58.71)—and features five of the bottom ten districts overall. Remote and sparsely populated, districts like Kamle, Tirap, Anjaw, and Siang remain cut off from basic public services and economic development, largely due to difficult terrain, limited connectivity, and weak administrative outreach.

Sikkim’s capital Gangtok performed well, ranking 8th overall. The state’s districts, while smaller in number, have shown consistency in climate action, water management, and health, the report pointed out.

Meghalaya, though not among the lowest, still struggles in its mining-affected eastern districts—East Jaintia Hills ranks 114th out of 121.

The SDG NER District Index provides a detailed district-wise assessment aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goals framework.

It is meant to help local governments identify areas requiring urgent policy focus and track development outcomes over time using data-driven governance tools.

The index serves as a benchmark to localise SDGs in the Northeast, promoting accountability and better planning at the grassroots level.