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Photo: Slaza : Sándor Laza · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale

Topic 16 of 18 · Country Index 2026

Vietnam: Energy

Where does a country’s electricity come from, and who can get it?

Vietnam is placed 91st of 193 countries on energy in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Carbon Intensity of Electricity 486.99 (2024); Renewable Share of Electricity Generation 42.28 (2024).

Energy

91st

of 193 countries placed

Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics

Country Index 2026, all topics71st of 178 →

01The evidence

The 3 key statistics that decide it

Only these place Vietnam 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.

Why these keys

  1. Key 1 of 3

    Carbon Intensity of Electricity

    Ember

    Why it is a key: How much greenhouse gas a country's power stations emit for every unit of electricity they produce.

    2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0

    486.99

    Carbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated)

    Lower is better

    Vietnam: 486.99. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 23.49 (Ethiopia) to 1,306 (Turkmenistan); the world median is 468.81.

    World median
    468.81
    Best in South-eastern Asia
    232.08 Laos
    Land neighbours
    China 558.97 · Cambodia 538.7 · Laos 232.08

    Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2024 edition.

  2. Key 2 of 3

    Renewable Share of Electricity Generation

    Ember

    Why it is a key: How much of the electricity a country generates already comes from renewable sources.

    2024 edition · data for 2024 · CC BY 4.0

    42.28

    Renewables (% of electricity generated)

    Higher is better

    Vietnam: 42.28. Across the 193 countries in this edition, values run from 0 (Gambia) to 100 (Paraguay); the world median is 31.14.

    World median
    31.14
    Best in South-eastern Asia
    76.72 Laos
    Land neighbours
    China 33.16 · Cambodia 35.66 · Laos 76.72

    Each grey tick is one of 193 countries in the 2024 edition.

  3. Key 3 of 3

    World Energy Trilemma Index

    World Energy Council

    Why it is a key: How a country's energy system balances security of supply, affordability and environmental impact — three pressures that trade off against one another.

    2023 edition · data for 2023 · Express reuse grant (no Creative Commons licence named)

    61.9

    Trilemma score (0–100)

    Higher is better

    Ranked 56th of 99 by World Energy Council

    Vietnam: 61.9. 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 South-eastern Asia
    70.1 Singapore
    Land neighbours
    China 64.4 · Cambodia 47.7

    Each grey tick is one of 126 countries in the 2023 edition.

03In context

Vietnam beside its neighbours

A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 193 countries on energy, never a place within the region.

South-eastern Asia
1st193rdNot placed · 31 countries with too few key statisticsNo data

The whole world on energy

Vietnam and the countries it borders

The standing is each country’s place among all 193 placed on the topic; the other columns are the publishers’ own values, read at the edition the standing used.

CountryStandingCarbon Intensity of ElectricityCarbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated)Renewable Share of Electricity GenerationRenewables (% of electricity generated)World Energy Trilemma IndexTrilemma score (0–100)
Laos34th232.0876.72—
Vietnam91st486.9942.2861.9
China102nd558.9733.1664.4
Cambodia122nd538.735.6647.7

“—” means the publisher gives no reading for that country in that edition. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed.

Placed either side on energy

The countries immediately above and below Vietnam in the topic’s list.

04Context, no vote

Where Vietnam is ahead of the world, and behind

10 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.

Every country

Ahead of the world median4

Statistics on which Vietnam does better than the middle country measured.

  • RISE Energy Efficiency Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 48.2364.49▼ Worsened since 2013

    Vietnam: 64.49 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Wind and Solar Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 5.76912.72▲ Improved since 2014

    Vietnam: 12.72 · world median 5.769 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • RISE Renewable Energy Policy ScoreESMAP · 2023 · world median 33.2639.85▼ Worsened since 2013

    Vietnam: 39.85 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2023 dataset

  • Low-Carbon Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 35.6642.28▼ Worsened since 2014

    Vietnam: 42.28 · world median 35.66 · 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 86th of 190 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = best. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

Behind the world median2

Statistics on which Vietnam does worse than the middle country measured.

  • CO₂ Emissions per CapitaGlobal Carbon Project · 2024 · world median 3.213.673▼ Worsened since 2014

    Vietnam: 3.673 · 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 95th of 210 — derived here by ordering the published values, 1st = worst. The publisher ranks no country on this.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Energy Intensity of GDP (PPP)EIA · 2024 · world median 2.7383.276▼ Worsened since 2014

    Vietnam: 3.276 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

Level with the median, or no median to compare1

  • Access to ElectricityWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 100100▲ Improved since 2014

    Vietnam: 100 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

No better end3

These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.

  • Net Electricity Imports (share of generation)Ember · 2024 · world median 01.186No real change since 2014

    Vietnam: 1.186 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Primary Energy Consumption per CapitaEIA · 2024 · world median 49.540.9Moved since 2014

    Vietnam: 40.9 · 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

  • Nuclear Share of Electricity GenerationEmber · 2024 · world median 00No real change since 2014

    Vietnam: 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.

    Chart and every countryThe 2024 dataset

05Country Index 2026

Energy among Vietnam’s 16 topics

Energy is Vietnam’s 10th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first; each marker sits at the position divided by that topic’s field, so fields of different sizes compare fairly.

On the profile
  1. Mobility & Tradejoint 17th of 147
  2. Work & Labour35th of 182
  3. Food & Agriculture49th of 175
  4. Digital & Technology78th of 198
  5. Education & Knowledge68th of 171
  6. Peace & Security71st of 177
  7. Economy & Innovationjoint 73rd of 176
  8. Gender & Equality78th of 183
  9. Poverty & Inequality72nd of 159
  10. Energy91st of 193
  11. Health & Wellbeing100th of 200
  12. Development & Human Capital105th of 196
  13. Governance & Institutions112th of 194
  14. Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 106th of 181
  15. Democracy & Civil Libertiesjoint 159th of 198
  16. Risk & Resilience158th of 192

06The top of the list

Who leads on energy

The three countries placed highest of 193, and the leaders Vietnam can most readily be measured against.

All 193 countries
  1. 1

    Bhutan

    Southern Asia

    1st of 193 · 2 of 3 keys

    Photo: VIkramjit Kakati derivative work: ויקיג'אנקי · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  2. 2

    Norway

    Northern Europe

    2nd of 193 · 3 of 3 keys

    Photo: Ximonic , Simo Räsänen · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale

  3. 3

    Uganda

    Eastern Africa

    3rd of 193 · 2 of 3 keys

    Photo: Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale

Placed highest nearby

  1. Highest in Asia

    Bhutan1st2/3 keys

  2. Highest in South-eastern Asia

    Laos34th2/3 keys

  3. This page

    Vietnam91st3/3 keys

Positions out of 193 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

Vietnam 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 Vietnam rank on energy?

Vietnam is placed 91st of 193 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 Vietnam?

486.99 in 2024 (carbon intensity (gCO₂e per kWh generated)), according to Ember. The world median in the same edition was 468.81.

What is the latest Renewable Share of Electricity Generation figure for Vietnam?

42.28 in 2024 (renewables (% of electricity generated)), according to Ember. The world median in the same edition was 31.14.

How does Vietnam compare with China on energy?

China is placed 102nd of 193, and Vietnam 91st. Carbon Intensity of Electricity: China 558.97, Vietnam 486.99; Renewable Share of Electricity Generation: China 33.16, Vietnam 42.28; World Energy Trilemma Index: China 64.4, Vietnam 61.9.

How have Vietnam’s energy figures changed?

Carbon Intensity of Electricity rose from 321.84 in 2000 to 486.99 in 2024; Renewable Share of Electricity Generation fell from 54.78 in 2000 to 42.28 in 2024.

08Keep reading

Explore further

Energy

Vietnam, topic by topic

09Method

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.

About energy, in full

How the Energy standing is decided, step by step

A standing is a place in a list, not a mark out of anything. This one is part of the Country Index 2026, and it is worked out like this.

  1. A few key indicators decide it; the rest are context. 3 indicators on this topic are keys and 10 are charted alongside them without a vote. That split is the point: if every statistic voted, importing five more of one kind would quietly change what the topic is about.
  2. Each key is read at one edition. ⚠ The keys behind this standing do not all describe the same year — they run from 2023 to 2024, because publishers release on their own schedules. Read the standing as “how this country places now”, not as a snapshot of one year.
  3. Every country’s published value is turned into a place within that one key’s own field, and then expressed as a share of that field — how far down this key’s list the country sits, rather than how many countries are above it. Keys where a higher published number is worse (terrorism, hunger, disaster risk) are turned round first, so the good end is always the same end.
  4. Dividing by the field first is the whole reason this works. A place carries the size of its list inside it: 22nd of 44 and 108th of 215 are the same showing, and averaging the numbers 22 and 108 says loudly that they are not. Fields on this site run from about 44 countries to about 215, so averaging raw places would reward a country for happening to be measured in small ones. Dividing each place by its own field removes the size and leaves only the showing.
  5. The shares are averaged, plainly. One key, one vote — no key is weighted above another, because any weighting would be this site’s opinion presented as a measurement. Countries are then put in order by that average, and the average itself is never published. It is our arithmetic with nothing anchoring it, so printing it would invite it to be read as a measurement somebody made. The position it produces, the band, and the keys it was built from are all published instead — every one of them checkable against the tables on this page.
  6. A country needs 2 of this topic’s 3 keys — half, rounded up, and never fewer than 2. A standing built from one reading, printed beside one built from four, is two different things sharing a column heading. 193 countries clear the bar here.
  7. A key has to earn its vote every edition. It must measure at least 120 countries (below that it starts measuring who was surveyed rather than the world), it must not have more than 10% of its field tied at either end, and it must not repeat another key in the same topic — Spearman correlation above 0.92 counts as repeating. A topic needs at least 2 surviving keys to place anyone at all; this one has 3.
  8. A standing is relative, and the grouping is ours. It says where a country places against the others measured alongside it, so it moves when they move. The publishers listed on this page did not agree to be read together, and each measures its subject its own way: the underlying numbers are theirs, the ordering on top is this site’s — the same method as the rest of the Country Index, applied to one subject instead of all of them.

The key statistics and their licences

The other 10 statistics on this page come from 5 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

Vietnam’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Vietnam: Energy — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/vietnam/energy

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