Unsustainable fishing practices compromise the future of the $160 billion fishing industry and those that depend on it for jobs, livelihoods, and food security. The global community set the target of ending overfishing and restoring fish stocks to biologically sustainable levels by 2030 (SDG target 14.4). Yet, global progress towards this goal remains limited and country-specific progress is largely unknown. To assist countries in their efforts to achieve fisheries sustainability, and track collective progress towards SDG target 14.4, we developed the Global Fishing Index (GFI). The GFI takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining natural and social sciences to report on three metrics: data availability, stock sustainability and fisheries governance. Firstly, we compiled a stock-level catch and assessment database to estimate the sustainability and data-availability of fish stocks within 142 countries’ economic exclusive zones. We also applied a composite index approach to measure a country’s governance capacity to constrain overfishing within their waters. Our results revealed 45% of stocks (642 of 1,349) were estimated to be at a biological unsustainable levels of abundance, while half of the total global catch comes from unassessed stocks which lack sufficient data to determine their sustainability. Ineffective implementation of science-based management practices and an inability for key stakeholders, including local fishing communities, to effectively participate in management and decision-making processes limits the governance capacity to rectify the global situation. We reflect on the GFI’s approach to assessing the fisheries and how the global community can accelerate progress towards fisheries sustainability.