The last two decades have shown that it is possible to defeat the scourge of poverty. Progress has not been uniform across countries, and there have been setbacks and disappointments. But overall, the rate of progress in reducing poverty and in increasing access to basic health, education, water, and other essential services is unparalleled in many countries’ histories.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have provided an important motivational force and measuring rod for this progress. They were deliberately ambitious, and their achievement would require an unprecedented pace of progress in most countries. The fact that many countries are on track to achieve a significant number of the goals will transform the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people, and should be a sign of hope and a spur to action in others.

This summary is part of initial findings from an ongoing review of development progress, which will include a set of ‘MDG indicators to construct league tables’ highlighting progress on these indicators. The review will generate comparative analysis that illustrates relative and absolute progress at national, sub-national and regional levels. In addition, a number of analytical case studies will provide a deeper understanding of the nature of progress and its contributing factors.

The analysis is based on the MDG database, with the exception of income poverty data for Africa, which are based on the ReSAKSS database. The data on equity – the distribution of progress within a country – are based on household Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Two measures are used to evaluate progress: absolute and relative. Both measures are needed to tell the full story of progress, particularly in low-income countries. Where the available data permit, countries have been compared over the same time period against average annual rates of progress, irrespective of population size.

This summary focuses on progress towards three MDGs and some of the factors contributing to that progress: Goal 1 (eradicating extreme poverty and hunger); Goal 4 (reducing child mortality); and Goal 5 (improving maternal health). Goals 4 and 5 are seen as having a critical role to play in getting all MDGs on track and have been identified as priorities for discussion at the G8 and G20 summits in June 2010.

Most countries are making progress on most of the key MDG indicators. Since the MDG clock began ticking towards 2015, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty fell from an estimated 1.8 billion in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2005 (UN, 2009). While the economic situation for many millions of people remains precarious, the direction is unambiguously positive. Equally, the share of children in primary school in low- and middle-income countries has risen from just over 70% to well over 80%. Ninety-five per cent of countries are making progress in reducing child mortality, which overall fell from 101 to 69 per 1000 live births between 1990 and 20071. And, despite wide variation in progress on maternal mortality, access to maternal health services has increased in about 80% of countries.

The key message from many years of working towards the MDGs is that progress is possible. In every aspect of development – even in the least successful of the MDGs reviewed here, on maternal health (Goal 5) – a significant number of countries have made real achievements. Although these statistics are encouraging, the challenge for the remaining five years and beyond is to learn from, and build upon, progress made.