Lebanon's status across the 17 SDGs, as assessed in this VNR.
Lebanon, a small upper-middle-income country with a democratic system, a service-led economy and a diverse society, submitted its Voluntary National Review (VNR) in 2018 after a period marked by repeated shocks since the late 1990s, including the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in 2005, the 2006 Israeli attacks and the protracted Syrian crisis. Since 2011, growth has weakened markedly: by 2016 GDP growth had fallen to about 1% (from an average of 8% previously), exports had declined by roughly one-third, public debt had increased by about USD 6 billion (2011–2016), and electricity spending for displaced people had risen by about USD 1 billion (2012–2016). Lebanon hosts around 1.5 million people displaced from Syria; by mid-2017 they comprised nearly a quarter of the population, with 90% living in 251 vulnerable localities. Following the election of a President and formation of a unity government in late 2016, stability improved and engagement with Agenda 2030 accelerated. The Government adopted the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -aligned framework, and this VNR provides a baseline from 2015 while identifying priorities for achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
