ESMAP · RISE Renewable Energy Policy Score
Renewable energy policy by country
How strong are a country's laws and policies for supporting renewable energy?
Of the 140 countries compared in 2023, Denmark had the highest reading, 89.52, and Republic of the Congo had the lowest reading, 3.06. In the middle country the figure was 33.26. Among the 140 countries measured in every edition since 2010, the middle one moved from 5.93 to 33.26.
Share
Part ofEnergy
Renewable energy policy · 2023
Context statistic
Highest of 140Denmark
89.52012023 · values only
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 140 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: User:Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2Photo: Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3
Lowest in 2023
Republic of the Congo3.06
Turkmenistan3.15
South Sudan3.33
Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
02Every measured country
Renewable energy policy on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 3.06–16.39
- 16.43–27.63
- 27.96–39.85
- 40.87–63.54
- 65.07–89.52
- No reading in 2023
- Europe
73.61
the middle country, of 33 measured · 49 members
Denmark89.52
Belarus22.47Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
34.41
the middle country, of 22 measured · 48 members
Mexico74.96
Haiti5.65Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Asia
26.79
the middle country, of 41 measured · 52 members
India67.79Turkmenistan3.15Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
24.66
the middle country, of 39 measured · 55 members
South Africa54.02Republic of the Congo3.06Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Oceania
24.59
the middle country, of 5 measured · 21 members
Australia67.98
Vanuatu8.33Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Every region
20 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Western Europe
82.52
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
France88.07
Switzerland76.31Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Northern Europe
82.06
the middle country, of 6 measured · 13 members
Denmark89.52
Norway69.48Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Eastern Europe
63.98
the middle country, of 10 measured · 10 members
Czechia77.70Belarus22.47Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- Southern Europe
51.01
the middle country, of 11 measured · 17 members
Italy84.11
Bosnia and Herzegovina35.83Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- South America
44.90
the middle country, of 10 measured · 12 members
Chile67.06
Venezuela10.63Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Northern Africa
41.17
the middle country, of 5 measured · 6 members
Egypt44.19
Sudan10.91Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- South-eastern Asia
39.34
the middle country, of 9 measured · 11 members
Thailand49.59
Myanmar14.96Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Western Asia
33.38
the middle country, of 15 measured · 19 members
Türkiye54.94
Azerbaijan11.28Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Central America
29.31
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Mexico74.96
Guatemala22.46Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Southern Asia
24.91
the middle country, of 8 measured · 9 members
India67.79
Afghanistan12.12Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Eastern Africa
24.81
the middle country, of 14 measured · 19 members
Rwanda47.06South Sudan3.33Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Africa
24.66
the middle country, of 13 measured · 16 members
Nigeria32.42
Guinea9.56Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Central Asia
16.47
the middle country, of 5 measured · 5 members
Kazakhstan24.92Turkmenistan3.15Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Middle Africa
15.12
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
Chad32.09Republic of the Congo3.06Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia67.98
New Zealand59.24Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Caribbean
3 of 24 measured — too few for a middle: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica.
Jamaica32.94Haiti5.65Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- Eastern Asia
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: China, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea.
Japan63.54
Mongolia9.78Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Papua New Guinea24.59Vanuatu8.33Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Northern America
2 of 4 measured — too few for a middle: Canada, United States.
United States74.80
Canada66.87Highest and lowest reading in Northern America.
- Southern Africa
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: South Africa.
South Africa54.02Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
140 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 33.26; a quarter are above 54.25, and a quarter below 20.08. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 140 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. No rank or position is shown: too many countries share the same value for an order to mean anything. A high score means supportive rules are in place, not that renewables supply much of the country's energy — for that, see renewable electricity. The five parts of the score show where the framework is strong and where it is missing.
Showing 25 of 140 countries
Values for 2023. The change column compares 2023 with 2022 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
052010–2023 · 14 reference years
Over time
Each point is one year from 2010 to 2023, all scored on the same method by the 2024 edition of RISE, so the line can be read end to end. A step up usually marks a new law, target or support scheme.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- the middle of the 140 countries measured every time
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half | Measured every time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 140 | 33.26 | 20.08 – 54.25 | 33.26 |
| 2022 | 140 | 38.28 | 22.65 – 56.26 | 38.28 |
| 2021 | 140 | 35.67 | 17.39 – 54.94 | 35.67 |
| 2020 | 140 | 33.08 | 15.62 – 49.71 | 33.08 |
| 2019 | 140 | 30.23 | 13.94 – 49.61 | 30.23 |
| 2018 | 140 | 22.34 | 11.36 – 46.49 | 22.34 |
| 2017 | 140 | 19.63 | 9.17 – 41.99 | 19.63 |
| 2016 | 140 | 16.89 | 6.81 – 40.10 | 16.89 |
| 2015 | 140 | 14.49 | 5.11 – 36.91 | 14.49 |
| 2014 | 140 | 13.11 | 4.14 – 32.52 | 13.11 |
| 2013 | 140 | 11.86 | 2.62 – 28.16 | 11.86 |
| 2012 | 140 | 10.47 | 1.63 – 23.33 | 10.47 |
| 2011 | 140 | 8.19 | 1.38 – 22.55 | 8.19 |
| 2010 | 140 | 5.93 | 0.83 – 21.00 | 5.93 |
062022 → 2023
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions — reference years recalculated in one report, not two separate publications. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Netherlands22.06 → 82.61+60.55- Mexico25.86 → 74.96+49.11
Malawi6.02 → 38.04+32.01
Montenegro13.07 → 42.79+29.71- France58.50 → 88.07+29.57
Declined most
before → after
Moldova67.56 → 24.75−42.81
Mauritania46.51 → 14.36−32.15
Madagascar38.46 → 9.47−28.99
Armenia65.19 → 36.27−28.92- Mongolia37.45 → 9.78−27.67
140 countries were measured in both 2022 and 2023.
07Across every edition
Renewable energy policy in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
89.52
Renewable energy policy score (0–100)
Lowest reading on record
Reached 137 times by 28 countries — shared, so no holder is named
0.00
Renewable energy policy score (0–100)
ESMAP · 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Biggest improvement between editions
+60.55
22.06 → 82.61
Biggest decline between editions
−42.81
67.56 → 24.75
Most improved since first measured
+81.28
1.33 → 82.61
At the top most often
10 of 14
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08The parts of the index
Inside the number
World Bank Group (ESMAP) publishes the parts the headline is built from. Each part’s highest and lowest country, and its middle value.
| Part | Highest | Lowest | Middle country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewable energy governance140 countries | 21 countries share 100.0 | 2 countries share 0.0 | 71.4 |
| Renewables in electricity140 countries | Norway96.30 | Turkmenistan4.63 | 50.23 |
| Renewables in heating and cooling140 countries | 3 countries share 100 | 63 countries share 0 | 11 |
| Renewables in transport140 countries | 5 countries share 100 | 49 countries share 0 | 33 |
| Levelling the playing field140 countries | 4 countries share 80 | 89 countries share 0 | 0 |
09The measure
About renewable energy policy
The RISE renewable energy score rates the policies and regulations a country has in place to support renewable energy — targets and planning, incentives, grid access and fair terms for renewable producers — on a scale of 0 to 100. It is published by the World Bank's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program and measures the policy framework, not how much renewable energy is produced.
What the number is: Renewable energy policy score (0–100).
What it does not measure
It scores the policy framework for renewables, not how much renewable energy the country produces or uses.
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Energy, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where renewable energy policy is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- State Capacity IndexJonathan K. Hanson (University of Michigan) and Rachel Sigman (Naval Postgraduate School) · 137 countries in commonρ 0.84
- RISE Energy Efficiency Policy ScoreESMAP · 140 countries in commonρ 0.83
- Frontier Technology Readiness IndexUNCTAD · 134 countries in commonρ 0.81
Moves against
Where renewable energy policy is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Average Household SizeUN DESA Population Division · 103 countries in commonρ −0.76
- Population Under Age 15UN DESA Population Division · 140 countries in commonρ −0.73
- Mortality Rate, Ages 5–14UN IGME · 140 countries in commonρ −0.73
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 357 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
The countries at either end
12Questions
Renewable energy policy: questions and answers
Which country has the highest renewable energy policy?
Denmark, at 89.52, among the 140 countries compared in 2023.
Which country has the lowest renewable energy policy?
Republic of the Congo, at 3.06, among the 140 countries compared in 2023.
How many countries does the RISE Renewable Energy Policy Score cover?
140 in 2023.
What is the world average renewable energy policy?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 140 compared in 2023, the figure was 33.26.
Is this World Bank Group (ESMAP)’s own ranking?
No ranking is shown. World Bank Group (ESMAP) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything, so none is derived.
How often is the RISE Renewable Energy Policy Score published?
This site holds 14 reference years, 2010–2023, all recalculated in World Bank Group (ESMAP)’s 2024 report on one method — not 14 separate publications.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From World Bank Group (ESMAP), under CC BY 4.0. From World Bank Data360 (RISE), the 2024 edition's annual series. RISE's overall score is not used: it averages a different number of pillars for different countries. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
RISE Renewable Energy Policy Score — World Bank Group (ESMAP)
From World Bank Data360 (RISE), the 2024 edition's annual series. RISE's overall score is not used: it averages a different number of pillars for different countries.
Newest edition
Report year 2023Data year 2023
Cite the source as: World Bank. Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) 2024. Washington, DC: World Bank / ESMAP.
Licence: CC BY 4.0, checked 2026-09-26.
How this page reads the numbers
- No rank or position is shown: World Bank Group (ESMAP) publishes values only, and too many countries share the same value for an ordering to mean anything.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Denmark — User:Aconcagua, CC BY-SA 3.0
- France — Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Germany — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Renewable energy policy by country: RISE Renewable Energy Policy Score, data from World Bank Group (ESMAP). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/rise-renewable-energy