India Ranks 176th, Second From Bottom, in 2026 Environment Performance Index
India ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the 2026 Environment Performance Index (EPI), placing it second from the bottom with an overall score of 22.46 (on a 0-100 scale). Only Laos (score 21.78, rank 177) fared worse. Estonia topped the index with a score of 74.79, followed by Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Finland and the Netherlands. India also had the lowest regional ranking (8th of 8) among South Asian nations. Compiled biennially by scientists from Yale and Columbia universities, the 2026 EPI ranked countries on 47 indicators across 12 issue categories under three policy objectives — environmental health (25%), ecosystem vitality (45%) and climate change (30%). India ranked 174 in environmental health, 171 in ecosystem vitality and 130 in climate change policies.
Key Facts & Details
9 points- 1India ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the 2026 Environment Performance Index (EPI), with an overall score of 22.46.
- 2Only Laos (rank 177, score 21.78) ranked lower; Estonia topped the index with 74.79.
- 3The top five were Estonia, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Finland and the Netherlands — all European nations.
- 4India had the lowest regional ranking (8th) among eight South Asian countries.
- 5The EPI is compiled biennially by Yale and Columbia universities, using 47 indicators across 12 issue categories in three policy objectives.
- 6Within the objectives, India ranked 174 in environmental health, 171 in ecosystem vitality and 130 in climate change policies.
Deep Dive
- +The three policy objectives are weighted environmental health (25%), ecosystem vitality (45%) and climate change (30%).
- +The 2026 edition added grassland conversion as a new indicator for the first time, recognising grasslands' role in carbon sequestration.
- +The report noted India faces an 'acute development-versus-pollution tension' as millions gain energy access alongside rising urban air pollution and GHG emissions.
Exam Focus
India's rank (176) and score (22.46) in EPI 2026, the topper (Estonia), the lowest-ranked country (Laos), the compiling universities (Yale and Columbia), and the three policy objectives.
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Exam Relevance & Angle
Global index rankings are among the most frequently tested current-affairs items. The 2026 EPI supplies exact figures — India's 176th rank, score 22.46, topper Estonia, and compiling bodies Yale and Columbia — that examiners turn directly into fill-the-fact MCQs across banking, SSC and UPSC papers.
Target Exams
Background & Context
The Environment Performance Index (EPI) is a global environmental ranking produced every two years by scientists from the universities of Yale and Columbia. It scores countries from 0 to 100 by compiling data — including satellite imagery — across indicators grouped into issue categories under three policy objectives: environmental health (e.g., air quality, particulate matter), ecosystem vitality (e.g., tree cover loss, marine habitat protection) and climate change mitigation (e.g., CO2 and methane trends). Because methodologies change across editions, direct comparisons between years are difficult. India had ranked 176 of 180 in the 2024 EPI and 180 (bottom) in 2022, when the government criticised the index as based on 'unscientific methods.'
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Must KnowTest Yourself
1 / 2What was India's rank in the 2026 Environment Performance Index (EPI)?
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