India Ranks 176th Out of 177 in 2026 Environmental Performance Index

India has been ranked 176th out of 177 countries in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), recording an overall score of 22.46 out of 100, according to the latest assessment by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy in collaboration with Columbia University.

The 2026 EPI assesses 177 countries using 47 indicators across 12 issue categories, grouped under three broad policy objectives: Environmental Health, Ecosystem Vitality and Climate Change.

India's performance was particularly weak in environmental health and air quality. The country ranked 174th in Environmental Health, with a score of 15.13, while its Air Quality ranking stood at 175th, with a score of 7.89.

Despite its low overall position, India's EPI score has increased by 7.47 points over the 10-year period covered by the index. The EPI's country data records India as having a 10-year change of +7.47.

Within the Southern Asia grouping, India ranked eighth among eight countries. Bhutan ranked first in the region, followed by Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Maldives and Bangladesh, with India at the bottom of the regional table.

The findings point to continuing challenges related to air quality and broader environmental health, while other components of environmental performance also contribute to India's overall score. For example, India ranked 174th in Biodiversity & Habitat, with a score of 9.09.

The EPI is a composite assessment rather than a single measurement of environmental conditions. Its results are intended to provide a comparative assessment of national environmental performance against established policy targets. The 2026 EPI also provides country-level data, trends and indicator scores for more detailed analysis.

India's 176th position therefore places the country near the bottom of the 2026 global ranking, while its positive 10-year score change indicates improvement on the index's measurement scale over the period.

Source: 2026 Environmental Performance Index, Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy.