Photo: Laxman Thapa from Nepal derivative work: Inkey · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 16 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Nepal: Energy
Where does a country’s electricity come from, and who can get it?
Nepal is placed joint 47th of 165 countries on energy in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Carbon Intensity of Electricity 23.99 (2024); Renewable Share of Electricity Generation 100 (2024).
Share
Energy
joint47th
of 165 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Nepal on energy — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
23.99
Carbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated)
Lower is better
Nepal: 23.99. Across the 165 countries in this edition, values run from 23.73 (Bhutan) to 1,306 (Turkmenistan); the world median is 433.75.
- World median
- 433.75
- Best in Southern Asia
- 23.73 Bhutan
- Land neighbours
- China 558.97
100
Renewables (% of electricity generated)
Higher is better
Nepal: 100. Across the 165 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 100 (Paraguay); the world median is 32.06.
- World median
- 32.06
- Best in Southern Asia
- 100 Bhutan and Nepal
- Land neighbours
- China 33.16
Key 3 of 3
World Energy Trilemma Index
World Energy Council
2023 edition · data for 2023 · Express reuse grant (no Creative Commons licence named)
40.5
Trilemma score (0–100)
Higher is better
Ranked 91st of 99 by World Energy Council
Nepal: 40.5. Across the 126 countries in this edition, values run from 27.7 (Niger) to 83.2 (Denmark); the world median is 63.8.
- World median
- 63.8
- Best in Southern Asia
- 60.4 Sri Lanka
- Land neighbours
- China 64.4 · India 55.6
02Over time
Which way Nepal is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Carbon Intensity of Electricity
Carbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated) · lower is better
NepalWorld median
Nepal fell from 35.15 in 2000 to 23.99 in 2024; the world median went from 540.34 to 433.75.
Every year’s figures
Year Nepal World median 2024 23.989 433.7 2023 23.925 452.7 2022 23.925 476.3 2021 23.988 469.0 2020 24.110 482.0 2019 24.065 488.2 2018 24.174 500.4 2017 24.236 506.3 2016 23.923 521.9 2015 23.988 524.8 2014 23.947 522.3 2013 25.714 508.8 2012 27.479 525.4 2011 23.699 521.4 2010 23.899 515.5 2009 25.974 533.6 2008 26.165 517.2 2007 25.993 535.3 2006 26.103 537.5 2005 28.685 521.4 2004 26.360 523.1 2003 23.894 543.1 2002 23.810 551.3 2001 30.811 559.3 2000 35.152 540.3 Renewable Share of Electricity Generation
Renewables (% of electricity generated) · higher is better
NepalWorld median
Nepal rose from 98.18 in 2000 to 100 in 2024; the world median went from 15.61 to 32.06.
Every year’s figures
Year Nepal World median 2024 100.000 32.062 2023 100.000 28.000 2022 100.000 28.881 2021 100.000 28.286 2020 100.000 27.125 2019 100.000 26.296 2018 100.000 25.505 2017 100.000 24.023 2016 100.000 22.218 2015 100.000 21.915 2014 100.000 21.151 2013 99.714 21.593 2012 99.433 19.869 2011 100.000 18.584 2010 100.000 18.572 2009 99.675 17.886 2008 99.642 15.923 2007 99.639 15.586 2006 99.632 15.392 2005 99.203 16.438 2004 99.582 16.445 2003 100.000 16.339 2002 100.000 13.826 2001 98.919 14.023 2000 98.182 15.612
03In context
Nepal beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 165 countries on energy, never a place within the region.
Nepal and the countries it borders
Standing among all 165; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Carbon Intensity of ElectricityCarbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated) | Renewable Share of Electricity GenerationRenewables (% of electricity generated) | World Energy Trilemma IndexTrilemma score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal | =47th | 23.99 | 100 | 40.5 |
 China | =87th | 558.97 | 33.16 | 64.4 |
 Indiacompare | not placed | — | — | 55.6 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 165.
Placed either side on energy
The countries immediately above and below Nepal in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Nepal is ahead of the world, and behind
25 more statistics filed under energy, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median6
Statistics on which Nepal does better than the middle country measured.
Low-Carbon Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 37.3210037.32No real change since 2014
Nepal: 100 · world median 37.32 · Low-carbon sources (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100; higher is better.
Position 1st of 162 · derived.
RISE Clean Cooking Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 29.7267.529.72▲ Improved since 2013
Nepal: 67.5 · world median 29.72 · Clean cooking policy score (0–100). World Bank Group (ESMAP), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 80.69; higher is better.
Energy Intensity of GDP (PPP)EIA · 2024 · world median 2.7381.3622.738▼ Worsened since 2014
Nepal: 1.362 · world median 2.738 · Energy use per dollar of GDP (thousand Btu per US$ at PPP). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.666 to 17.45; lower is better.
CO₂ Emissions per CapitaGlobal Carbon Project · 2024 · world median 3.210.6333.21▼ Worsened since 2014
Nepal: 0.633 · world median 3.21 · Fossil CO₂ (tonnes per person). Global Carbon Project, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.054 to 41.27; lower is better.
Position 167th of 210 · derived, 1st = worst.
Firms Identifying Electricity as a Major ConstraintWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 25.7718.3825.77No earlier reading
Nepal: 18.38 · world median 25.77 · Firms rating electricity a major or very severe constraint (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 84.77; lower is better.
Position 121st of 179 · derived, 1st = worst.
RISE Electricity Access Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 65.6766.1465.67▼ Worsened since 2013
Nepal: 66.14 · world median 65.67 · Electricity access policy score (0–100). World Bank Group (ESMAP), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 9.471 to 90.47; higher is better.
Position 27th of 56 · derived.
Behind the world median7
Statistics on which Nepal does worse than the middle country measured.
RISE Energy Efficiency Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 48.2333.1548.23▲ Improved since 2013
Nepal: 33.15 · world median 48.23 · Energy efficiency policy score (0–100). World Bank Group (ESMAP), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 1.975 to 95.93; higher is better.
Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 10097.9100▲ Improved since 2014
Nepal: 97.9 · world median 100 · Population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 5.4 to 100; higher is better.
Firms Owning or Sharing a GeneratorWorld Bank Group · 2026 · world median 24.8535.5724.85No earlier reading
Nepal: 35.57 · world median 24.85 · Firms owning or sharing a generator (%). World Bank Group, 2026 edition, data for 2026.
Published values in that edition run from 0.158 to 90.51; lower is better.
Access to Electricity, RuralWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 10094.2100No real change since 2014
Nepal: 94.2 · world median 100 · Rural population with electricity access (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.7 to 100; higher is better.
Wind and Solar Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 5.2791.1685.279▼ Worsened since 2014
Nepal: 1.168 · world median 5.279 · Wind and solar (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 69.12; higher is better.
RISE Renewable Energy Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 33.2620.3333.26▲ Improved since 2013
Nepal: 20.33 · world median 33.26 · Renewable energy policy score (0–100). World Bank Group (ESMAP), 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 3.056 to 89.52; higher is better.
Primary Schools with ElectricityUIS · 2024 · world median 10059.81100No real change since 2020
Nepal: 59.81 · world median 100 · Primary schools with access to electricity (%). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.246 to 100; higher is better.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Coal Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 000No real change since 2014
Nepal: 0 · world median 0 · Coal (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 98.25; lower is better.
No better end11
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Hydro Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 12.8598.8312.85Moved since 2014
Nepal: 98.83 · world median 12.85 · Hydropower (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 100.
Solar Electricity Installed CapacityEIA · 2024 · world median 0.1440.1750.144Moved since 2014
Nepal: 0.175 · world median 0.144 · Solar generating capacity installed (gigawatts). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 886.66.
Nuclear Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 000No real change since 2014
Nepal: 0 · world median 0 · Nuclear (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 67.4.
Primary Energy ProductionEIA · 2024 · world median 0.0770.0380.077Moved since 2014
Nepal: 0.038 · world median 0.077 · Primary energy produced (quadrillion Btu). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 130.76.
Solar Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 3.0491.0783.049Moved since 2014
Nepal: 1.078 · world median 3.049 · Solar (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 50.
Photovoltaic Power Potential (PVOUT)World Bank Group (ESMAP), data by Solargis · 2020 · world median 4.2733.9964.273No earlier reading
Nepal: 3.996 · world median 4.273 · Practical solar power potential (kWh per kWp per day, long-term average). World Bank Group (ESMAP), data by Solargis, 2020 edition, data for 2020.
Published values in that edition run from 2.513 to 5.379.
Natural Gas ProductionEIA · 2024 · world median 000No real change since 2014
Nepal: 0 · world median 0 · Dry natural gas produced (billion cubic metres). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 1,069.
Crude Oil ProductionEIA · 2025 · world median 000No real change since 2015
Nepal: 0 · world median 0 · Crude oil produced (thousand barrels per day). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 13,586.
Gas Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 2.58502.585Moved since 2014
Nepal: 0 · world median 2.585 · Natural gas (% of electricity generated). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 99.97.
Net Electricity Imports (share of generation)Ember · 2024 · world median 0-0.8980Moved since 2014
Nepal: -0.898 · world median 0 · Net electricity imports (% of domestic generation). Ember, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -70.16 to 707.07.
Primary Energy Consumption per CapitaEIA · 2024 · world median 49.56.06149.5Moved since 2014
Nepal: 6.061 · world median 49.5 · Energy use per person (million Btu). U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.95 to 766.07.
No current reading for Nepal
Operating Coal Power Capacity and Operating Wind Power Capacity. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Energy among Nepal’s 15 topics
Energy is Nepal’s best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Energyjoint 47th of 1653/3 keys
- Poverty & Inequality46th of 1593/3 keys
- Environment & Sustainability60th of 1864/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture85th of 1844/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties94th of 1984/4 keys
- Peace & Security88th of 1774/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation97th of 1764/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge111th of 1984/4 keys
- Digital & Technology115th of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience118th of 1934/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions130th of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equality129th of 1834/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing143rd of 2004/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital145th of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labour171st of 1824/4 keys
No standing on Mobility & Trade: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on energy
The three countries placed highest of 165, and the leaders Nepal can most readily be measured against.
1
BhutanSouthern Asia
1st of 165 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: VIkramjit Kakati derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
NorwayNorthern Europe
2nd of 165 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
UgandaEastern Africa
3rd of 165 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
Bhutan1st2/3 keysThis page
Nepal=47th3/3 keys
Positions out of 165 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Nepal on energy: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Nepal rank on energy?
Nepal is placed joint 47th of 165 countries on Energy in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Carbon Intensity of Electricity, Renewable Share of Electricity Generation and World Energy Trilemma Index). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Carbon Intensity of Electricity figure for Nepal?
23.99 in 2024 (carbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated)), according to Ember. The world median in the same edition was 433.75.
What is the latest Renewable Share of Electricity Generation figure for Nepal?
100 in 2024 (renewables (% of electricity generated)), according to Ember. The world median in the same edition was 32.06.
How does Nepal compare with India on energy?
India is not placed on Energy, holding too few of its key statistics, and Nepal joint 47th. World Energy Trilemma Index: India 55.6, Nepal 40.5.
How have Nepal’s energy figures changed?
Carbon Intensity of Electricity fell from 35.15 in 2000 to 23.99 in 2024; Renewable Share of Electricity Generation rose from 98.18 in 2000 to 100 in 2024.
Which energy statistics are missing for Nepal?
No current reading is published for Nepal on Operating Coal Power Capacity and Operating Wind Power Capacity. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
This is deliberately the electricity and energy-system subject, not an infrastructure one: roads, railways, ports, water and telecommunications would each need a global series this site does not hold. Emissions are under Environment & Sustainability. Access to electricity is published here in full but takes no part in any ranking — more than half the world’s countries now report 100%, and a position derived from that would read “1, 1, 1 … 123”, which is noise rather than information.
How the Energy standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The energy method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Carbon Intensity of Electricity — Ember, CC BY 4.0
- Renewable Share of Electricity Generation — Ember, CC BY 4.0
- World Energy Trilemma Index — World Energy Council, Express reuse grant (no Creative Commons licence named)
The other 25 statistics on this page come from 7 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Nepal’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Nepal (banner) — Laxman Thapa from Nepal derivative work: Inkey, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bhutan — VIkramjit Kakati derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Norway — Ximonic , Simo Räsänen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Uganda — Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Nepal: Energy — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/nepal/energy