Sovereign ESG Data Framework

The World Bank curates and maintains a wide range of ESG data for policy makers, financial market participants and academic researchers. This page presents our framework along with the availability over time and regions.

Environment

A green leaf that represents the natural capital aspect of the environmental pillar. Source: Photo from Unsplash.

The Environment pillar measures the sustainability of a country's economic performance given its natural resource endowment, management, its risk or resilience to climate change and other natural hazards. It pays particular attention to the internalization of environmental externalities created by economic activity. It also accounts for sustainable energy access and food security, crucial factors for stable long-term economic growth.

Emissions & pollution

CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.ATM.CO2E.PC
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
GHG net emissions/removals by LUCF (Mt of CO2 equivalent)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2009
Indicator: EN.CLC.GHGR.MT.CE
Methane emissions (metric tons of CO2 equivalent per capita)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.ATM.METH.KT.CE

Energy use & security

Electricity production from coal sources (% of total)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2015
Indicator: EG.ELC.COAL.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Energy imports, net (% of energy use)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2015
Indicator: EG.IMP.CONS.ZS
Energy intensity level of primary energy (MJ/$2017 PPP GDP)
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EG.EGY.PRIM.PP.KD
Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2015
Indicator: EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2015
Indicator: EG.USE.COMM.FO.ZS
Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2019
Indicator: EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
Renewable energy consumption (% of total final energy consumption)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS

Climate risk & resilience

Population density (people per sq. km of land area)
Year of first observation: 1961
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EN.POP.DNST
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Cooling Degree Days
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.CLC.CDDY.XD
Heating Degree Days
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.CLC.HDDY.XD
Heat Index 35
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.CLC.HEAT.XD
Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EN.CLC.SPEI.XD
Land Surface Temperature
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EN.LND.LTMP.DC
Coastal protection
Year of first observation: 2012
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.CLC.CSTP.ZS
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
Year of first observation: 2017
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: EN.H2O.BDYS.ZS

Food Security

Agricultural land (% of land area)
Year of first observation: 1961
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS
Food production index (2014-2016 = 100)
Year of first observation: 1961
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: AG.PRD.FOOD.XD

Natural capital endowment & management

Adjusted savings: natural resources depletion (% of GNI)
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: NY.ADJ.DRES.GN.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Adjusted savings: net forest depletion (% of GNI)
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: NY.ADJ.DFOR.GN.ZS
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal resources)
Year of first observation: 1962
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: ER.H2O.FWTL.ZS
Forest area (% of land area)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: AG.LND.FRST.ZS
Mammal species, threatened
Year of first observation: 2018
Year of last observation: 2018
Indicator: EN.MAM.THRD.NO
Terrestrial and marine protected areas (% of total territorial area)
Year of first observation: 2016
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
Tree Cover Loss
Year of first observation: 2001
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: AG.LND.FRLS.HA

Social

A girl is writing on a blackboard in a primary school to represent the social pillar. Source: Photo from Unsplash.

The Social pillar quantifies the sustainability of a country's economic performance with regard to its efficacy in meeting the basic needs of its population, reducing poverty, managing of social and equity issues and investing in human capital and productivity. This category also includes demographic criteria, pertinent to stable long-term economic growth.

Access to Services

Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking (% of population)
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EG.CFT.ACCS.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Access to electricity (% of population)
Year of first observation: 1990
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population)
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS
People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population)
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SH.STA.SMSS.ZS

Demography

Fertility rate, total (births per woman)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SP.DYN.TFRT.IN
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Life expectancy at birth, total (years)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SP.DYN.LE00.IN
Population ages 65 and above (% of total population)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS

Education & skills

1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SE.ADT.LITR.ZS
School enrollment, primary (% gross)
Year of first observation: 1970
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SE.PRM.ENRR

Employment

Children in employment, total (% of children ages 7-14)
Year of first observation: 1994
Year of last observation: 2016
Indicator: SL.TLF.0714.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)
Year of first observation: 1991
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS

Health & Nutrition

1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Hospital beds (per 1,000 people)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2019
Indicator: SH.MED.BEDS.ZS
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SH.DYN.MORT
Prevalence of overweight (% of adults)
Year of first observation: 1975
Year of last observation: 2016
Indicator: SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)
Year of first observation: 2001
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SN.ITK.DEFC.ZS

Poverty & Inequality

1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Gini index
Year of first observation: 1963
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SI.POV.GINI
Income share held by lowest 20%
Year of first observation: 1963
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SI.DST.FRST.20
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population)
Year of first observation: 2000
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SI.POV.NAHC

Governance

A statue of a woman with a blindfold and holding a sword that represents the governance pillar. Source: Photo from Unsplash.

The Governance pillar describes the sustainability of a country's economic performance in the context of its institutional capacity to support long-term stability, growth and poverty reduction. This category also accounts for the strength of a country's political, financial and legal systems and capacity to address environmental and social risks.

Economic Environment

GDP growth (annual %)
Year of first observation: 1961
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Individuals using the Internet (% of population)
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: IT.NET.USER.ZS

Gender

Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%)
Year of first observation: 1997
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: SG.GEN.PARL.ZS
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Unmet need for contraception (% of married women ages 15-49)
Year of first observation: 1984
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SP.UWT.TFRT

Government Effectiveness

Government Effectiveness: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: GE.EST
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Regulatory Quality: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: RQ.EST

Human Rights

Strength of legal rights index (0=weak to 12=strong)
Year of first observation: 2013
Year of last observation: 2019
Indicator: IC.LGL.CRED.XQ
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Voice and Accountability: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: VA.EST
Economic and Social Rights Performance Score
Year of first observation: 2007
Year of last observation: 2018
Indicator: SD.ESR.PERF.XQ

Innovation

Patent applications, residents
Year of first observation: 1980
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: IP.PAT.RESD
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS
Scientific and technical journal articles
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2020
Indicator: IP.JRN.ARTC.SC

Stability & Rule of Law

Control of Corruption: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: CC.EST
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
EAP
ECA
LAC
MENA
NA
SA
SSA
Net migration
Year of first observation: 1960
Year of last observation: 2021
Indicator: SM.POP.NETM
Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: PV.EST
Rule of Law: Estimate
Year of first observation: 1996
Year of last observation: 2022
Indicator: RL.EST

Download the framework

Visit the Downloads page to obtain the ESG data framework.