Environmental Performance Index 2026: Estonia Tops, India Ranked 176th of 177

6 August 2026National

Yale University (with Columbia University) released the Environmental Performance Index (EPI 2026), in which India ranked 176th out of 177 countries with an overall score of 22.46 — the second-lowest, ahead only of Laos (21.78). Estonia topped the index with 74.79, followed by Luxembourg (74.24) and the United Kingdom (71.51); Finland (4th) and the Netherlands (5th) complete a top five made up entirely of European nations. India improved marginally by +7.47 points over the last decade. India scored poorly on air quality and biodiversity (174th in both) but performed better in Climate Change (130th, +13.98 points) and Waste Management & Sanitation (141st). The EPI ranks countries on 47 indicators across 11 issue categories. The bottom five are Laos, India, Bangladesh (175th), Mali (174th) and Vietnam (173rd).

Static GK

EPI published by: Yale + Columbia University | India's rank: 176/177 (2026) | Topper: Estonia | Lowest: Laos (177th) | India's environment score: 22.46

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India ranked 176th of 177 in the Environmental Performance Index 2026 (score 22.46), ahead of only Laos. • Estonia topped EPI 2026 with 74.79; the entire top five are European nations. • The EPI is jointly published by Yale and Columbia Universities using 47 indicators across 11 categories.

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