In the face of mounting environmental concerns like deforestation, pollution, and climate change, it becomes impactful to evaluate how nations around the world are upholding their environmental responsibilities. Enter the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a method used to quantify and numerically mark the environmental performance of a nation's policies. This composite index focuses on two broad policy areas: environmental health and ecosystem vitality.
Although there is a long way to go in realizing a completely sustainable world, some nations have made noteworthy strides toward enhancing their environmental footprint. These countries, many of which are in Europe, have taken considerable steps to minimize pollution, prioritize sustainability, and forge a path to a greener, healthier world.
Key findings from the data include:
Regarding measuring cleanliness through the Environmental Performance Index, several nations are setting commendable benchmarks. The top performers in this regard include Denmark, Malta, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Iceland, and Norway. Denmark excels with an outstanding Environmental Performance Index (EPI) of 77.9, closely followed by Malta at 75.2.
Luxembourg and the United Kingdom have also made significant strides, achieving EPI scores of 72.3 and 77.7, respectively. Finland’s dedication to environmental cleanliness is evident in its EPI of 76.5. Switzerland and Sweden achieved high marks in this area, each with an EPI of 72.7. Austria and Iceland are notable for their commitment to environmental cleanliness, reflected in scores of 66.5 and 62.8. Completing this list is Norway, which demonstrates its commitment to environmental sustainability with an EPI of 59.3.
Top 10 Cleanest Countries (Environmental Performance Index):
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
43.6
#82
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
47.1
#62
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
29.6
#155
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.5
#151
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
52.4
#40
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
41.1
#92
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
48.3
#56
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
60.1
#17
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
66.5
#8
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
38.6
#104
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
56.2
#29
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.0
#90
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
23.1
#177
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
53.2
#36
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
48.5
#55
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
58.2
#21
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.0
#50
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
29.6
#156
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.5
#86
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.1
#99
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
39.4
#102
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
54.0
#35
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
43.6
#81
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
45.7
#71
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
51.9
#41
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.5
#128
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.5
#152
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.1
#154
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.2
#153
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.0
#49
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
41.9
#91
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
44.9
#75
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.1
#165
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.7
#65
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.4
#160
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.4
#87
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.5
#85
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.3
#68
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
60.2
#16
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
47.5
#60
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
58.0
#22
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
59.9
#19
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.9
#119
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
77.9
#1
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
47.5
#61
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
51.2
#42
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.2
#89
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.5
#66
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.5
#127
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.8
#95
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
44.8
#77
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
31.7
#145
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
61.4
#14
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
44.9
#76
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
31.8
#143
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
31.3
#147
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
76.5
#3
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
62.5
#12
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
49.7
#51
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.4
#122
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
39.1
#103
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
62.4
#13
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
27.7
#170
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
56.2
#28
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
47.9
#58
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.0
#168
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
31.6
#146
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.2
#98
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
38.5
#105
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
26.1
#173
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.5
#121
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
55.1
#33
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
62.8
#10
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
18.9
#180
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.2
#164
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
34.5
#133
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
27.8
#169
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
57.4
#24
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
48.2
#57
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
57.7
#23
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
32.8
#138
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
45.6
#72
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
57.2
#25
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
43.6
#83
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.9
#93
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.8
#148
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
49.0
#54
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.4
#88
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.7
#126
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.7
#149
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
61.1
#15
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
32.2
#142
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
32.3
#141
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
24.9
#174
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
55.9
#31
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
72.3
#6
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.0
#167
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.6
#97
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.0
#130
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.4
#114
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.5
#159
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
75.2
#4
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.2
#124
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.1
#166
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
44.8
#78
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
45.5
#73
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.4
#115
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
42.7
#84
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
29.6
#157
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.9
#64
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.4
#161
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
31.7
#144
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
19.4
#179
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.9
#45
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.3
#163
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
62.6
#11
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
56.7
#26
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.7
#111
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.7
#110
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.3
#162
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
54.3
#34
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
59.3
#20
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
30.7
#150
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
24.6
#176
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.5
#47
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
24.8
#175
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.9
#94
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
39.8
#101
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
28.9
#158
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.6
#46
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.4
#48
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
33.0
#137
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.1
#100
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
56.0
#30
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.5
#112
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
32.8
#139
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
49.4
#53
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
53.2
#37
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.4
#123
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
52.9
#38
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.9
#109
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
33.9
#136
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
43.9
#79
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
55.6
#32
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
32.7
#140
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
50.9
#44
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
60.0
#18
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
67.3
#7
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.0
#131
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.2
#116
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.9
#63
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
56.6
#27
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
34.7
#132
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
27.6
#171
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
45.9
#70
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
72.7
#5
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
65.9
#9
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
45.3
#74
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.1
#117
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
34.2
#134
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
38.1
#108
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.1
#129
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
34.0
#135
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
43.8
#80
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
47.8
#59
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
40.7
#96
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
26.3
#172
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.0
#118
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
35.8
#125
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
49.6
#52
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
52.4
#39
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
77.7
#2
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
51.1
#43
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
37.4
#113
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
38.2
#107
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
36.9
#120
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.4
#67
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
20.1
#178
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
38.4
#106
Metric
Value
Rank
Environmental Performance Index
46.2
#69
Region ↕ | Environmental Performance Index ↕ |
---|---|
Afghanistan | 43.6 |
Albania | 47.1 |
Algeria | 29.6 |
Angola | 30.5 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 52.4 |
Argentina | 41.1 |
Armenia | 48.3 |
Australia | 60.1 |
Austria | 66.5 |
Azerbaijan | 38.6 |
Bahamas | 56.2 |
Bahrain | 42.0 |
Bangladesh | 23.1 |
Barbados | 53.2 |
Belarus | 48.5 |
Belgium | 58.2 |
Belize | 50.0 |
Benin | 29.6 |
Bhutan | 42.5 |
Bolivia | 40.1 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 39.4 |
Botswana | 54.0 |
Brazil | 43.6 |
Brunei | 45.7 |
Bulgaria | 51.9 |
Burkina Faso | 35.5 |
Burundi | 30.5 |
Cambodia | 30.1 |
Cameroon | 30.2 |
Canada | 50.0 |
Cape Verde | 41.9 |
Central African Republic | 44.9 |
Chad | 28.1 |
Chile | 46.7 |
China | 28.4 |
Colombia | 42.4 |
Comoros | 42.5 |
Costa Rica | 46.3 |
Croatia | 60.2 |
Cuba | 47.5 |
Cyprus | 58.0 |
Czech Republic | 59.9 |
DR Congo | 36.9 |
Denmark | 77.9 |
Djibouti | 47.5 |
Dominica | 51.2 |
Dominican Republic | 42.2 |
Ecuador | 46.5 |
Egypt | 35.5 |
El Salvador | 40.8 |
Equatorial Guinea | 44.8 |
Eritrea | 31.7 |
Estonia | 61.4 |
Eswatini | 44.9 |
Ethiopia | 31.8 |
Fiji | 31.3 |
Finland | 76.5 |
France | 62.5 |
Gabon | 49.7 |
Gambia | 36.4 |
Georgia | 39.1 |
Germany | 62.4 |
Ghana | 27.7 |
Greece | 56.2 |
Grenada | 47.9 |
Guatemala | 28.0 |
Guinea | 31.6 |
Guinea Bissau | 40.2 |
Guyana | 38.5 |
Haiti | 26.1 |
Honduras | 36.5 |
Hungary | 55.1 |
Iceland | 62.8 |
India | 18.9 |
Indonesia | 28.2 |
Iran | 34.5 |
Iraq | 27.8 |
Ireland | 57.4 |
Israel | 48.2 |
Italy | 57.7 |
Ivory Coast | 32.8 |
Jamaica | 45.6 |
Japan | 57.2 |
Jordan | 43.6 |
Kazakhstan | 40.9 |
Kenya | 30.8 |
Kiribati | 49.0 |
Kuwait | 42.4 |
Kyrgyzstan | 35.7 |
Laos | 30.7 |
Latvia | 61.1 |
Lebanon | 32.2 |
Lesotho | 32.3 |
Liberia | 24.9 |
Lithuania | 55.9 |
Luxembourg | 72.3 |
Madagascar | 28.0 |
Malawi | 40.6 |
Malaysia | 35.0 |
Maldives | 37.4 |
Mali | 28.5 |
Malta | 75.2 |
Marshall Islands | 36.2 |
Mauritania | 28.1 |
Mauritius | 44.8 |
Mexico | 45.5 |
Micronesia | 37.4 |
Moldova | 42.7 |
Mongolia | 29.6 |
Montenegro | 46.9 |
Morocco | 28.4 |
Mozambique | 31.7 |
Myanmar | 19.4 |
Namibia | 50.9 |
Nepal | 28.3 |
Netherlands | 62.6 |
New Zealand | 56.7 |
Nicaragua | 37.7 |
Niger | 37.7 |
Nigeria | 28.3 |
North Macedonia | 54.3 |
Norway | 59.3 |
Oman | 30.7 |
Pakistan | 24.6 |
Panama | 50.5 |
Papua New Guinea | 24.8 |
Paraguay | 40.9 |
Peru | 39.8 |
Philippines | 28.9 |
Poland | 50.6 |
Portugal | 50.4 |
Qatar | 33.0 |
Republic of the Congo | 40.1 |
Romania | 56.0 |
Russia | 37.5 |
Rwanda | 32.8 |
Saint Lucia | 49.4 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 53.2 |
Samoa | 36.4 |
Sao Tome and Principe | 52.9 |
Saudi Arabia | 37.9 |
Senegal | 33.9 |
Serbia | 43.9 |
Seychelles | 55.6 |
Sierra Leone | 32.7 |
Singapore | 50.9 |
Slovakia | 60.0 |
Slovenia | 67.3 |
Solomon Islands | 35.0 |
South Africa | 37.2 |
South Korea | 46.9 |
Spain | 56.6 |
Sri Lanka | 34.7 |
Sudan | 27.6 |
Suriname | 45.9 |
Sweden | 72.7 |
Switzerland | 65.9 |
Taiwan | 45.3 |
Tajikistan | 37.1 |
Tanzania | 34.2 |
Thailand | 38.1 |
Timor Leste | 35.1 |
Togo | 34.0 |
Tonga | 43.8 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 47.8 |
Tunisia | 40.7 |
Turkey | 26.3 |
Turkmenistan | 37.0 |
Uganda | 35.8 |
Ukraine | 49.6 |
United Arab Emirates | 52.4 |
United Kingdom | 77.7 |
United States | 51.1 |
Uruguay | 37.4 |
Uzbekistan | 38.2 |
Vanuatu | 36.9 |
Venezuela | 46.4 |
Vietnam | 20.1 |
Zambia | 38.4 |
Zimbabwe | 46.2 |