Interdependencies among the Sustainable Development Goals: A Systematic Analysis of Scholarly Evidence

This study aims to generate policy-relevant insights for advancing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by systematically analyzing patterns of scholarly attention to interactions among SDG goals. A total of 14,452 academic publications indexed in Scopus during 2023–2024 and containing explicit references to “SDGs” in their abstracts are examined. Interactions identified in the literature are classified into three types: synergy (positive interaction), trade-off (negative interaction), and negative synergy (mutually reinforcing adverse effects), followed by an analysis of relationships among SDG indicators. The results show a high concentration of synergies centered on Goal 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), while trade-offs are frequently associated with Goal 8 (economic growth) and Goal 13 (climate action). Negative synergies are also observed, particularly in interactions involving environmental goals such as Goal 7 and Goal 13. These findings highlight structural interdependencies among SDGs and provide practical implications for identifying priority areas and designing policies that balance the enhancement of synergies with the mitigation of trade-offs in pursuit of integrated SDG achievement.