University of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative - Country Index

Data source: Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative

The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative’s (ND-GAIN) Country Index is a free, open source index that shows a country’s current vulnerability to climate disruptions. It also assesses a country’s readiness to leverage private and public sector investment for adaptive actions. The ND-GAIN Country Index brings together more than 40 core indicators to measure vulnerability and readiness of 182 UN countries from 1995 to the present (10 countries only have readiness scores).

Corporate, NGO, government, and development decision-makers use ND-GAIN’s country-level rankings and underlying data to make informed strategic operational and reputational decisions regarding supply chains, capital projects, policy changes and community engagements.

Dataset type
Other
Dataset level
Country
Last updated by source
2025-06-25

Citation

When using this dataset, please cite as:

• Chen, C., Noble, I., Hellmann, Jessica, Coffee, J., Murillo, M., & Chawla, N. (2024). University of notre dame global adaptation initiative: Country index technical report. https://gain.nd.edu/our-work/country-index/

Variables in this dataset

Browse variables and select them for download.

Adaptive Capacity
QoG code: gain_cap

Adaptive Capacity subcomponent of the Vulnerability score assesses the availability of social resources for sector-specific adaptation. In some cases, these capacities reflect sustainable adaptation s ...

View variable
Economic Readiness
QoG code: gain_econ

The score of Economic readiness captures the readiness of a country’s business environment to accept investment that could be applied to adaptation in the form of business formation and maintenance. A ...

View variable

The score of Ecosystem services captures the vulnerability of natural capital to climate change, the ecological resources that humans rely upon to support lives and livelihoods. Indicators include: pr ...

View variable
Exposure to Climate Change
QoG code: gain_exp

Exposure score measures the nature and degree to which a system is exposed to significant climate change. It is a component of vulnerability independent of socioeconomic context.

View variable
Food Vulnerability
QoG code: gain_food

The Food score captures a country’s vulnerability to climate change, in terms of food production, food demand, nutrition and rural population. Indicators include: projected change of cereal yields, pr ...

View variable
ND-GAIN Country Index
QoG code: gain_gain

The ND-GAIN Country Index summarizes a country's vulnerability to climate change and other global challenges in combination with its readiness to improve resilience. It aims to help governments, busin ...

View variable

There is a correlation between ND-GAIN scores and GDP per capita. To account for this, the authors introduce the 'GDP adjusted ND-GAIN score'. This score is defined as the distance of a country's meas ...

View variable
Governance Readiness
QoG code: gain_gov

The score of Governance readiness captures the institutional factors that enhance application of investment for adaptation. Indicators include: political stability and non-violence, control of corrupt ...

View variable

The score of Human habitat captures a country’s vulnerability of human living conditions to climate change, considering weather extremes, urban development, demography, and transport infrastructure. I ...

View variable
Health Vulnerability
QoG code: gain_heal

The Health score captures a country’s vulnerability of public health to climate change, in terms of the spread of communicable diseases and provision of health services. Indicators include: projected ...

View variable

The Infrastructure score captures the vulnerability of coastal and energy infrastructure to climate change, primarily general preparedness to climate-related natural disasters, coastal hazards, and en ...

View variable

Readiness to make effective use of investments for adaptation actions thanks to a safe and efficient business environment ND-GAIN measures readiness by considering a country’s ability to leverage inve ...

View variable

There is a correlation between ND-GAIN scores and GDP per capita. To account for this, we introduce the 'GDP adjusted ND-GAIN score'. This score is defined as the distance of a country's measured ND-G ...

View variable

The sensitivity subcomponent of the vulnerability score measures the extent to which a country is dependent upon a sector negatively affected by climate change or the proportion of the population part ...

View variable
Social Readiness
QoG code: gain_soc

The score of Social readiness captures the social factors that enhance the mobility of investment to be converted to adaptation actions. Indicators include: social inequality, ICT infrastructure, educ ...

View variable

A country's ND-GAIN index score is composed of a Vulnerability score and a Readiness score. Vulnerability measures a country's exposure, sensitivity and ability to adapt to the negative impact of clim ...

View variable

There is a correlation between ND-GAIN scores and GDP per capita. To account for this, we introduce the 'GDP adjusted ND-GAIN score'. This score is defined as the distance of a country's measured ND-G ...

View variable
Water Vulnerability
QoG code: gain_wat

The Water score captures a country’s vulnerability of fresh water supplies to climate change. Indicators include: projected change of annual runoff, projected change of annual groundwater recharge, fr ...

View variable