Income Inequality and Renewable Energy Consumption in SAARC Countries

Mr. Prabal Bhattarai; Mrs. Anindita Jana; Dr. Susobhan Maiti

doi:https://doi.org/10.58419/gbs.v12i1.1212601

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Income Inequality and Renewable Energy Consumption in SAARC Countries

Prabal Bhattarai, Anindita Jana, Susobhan Maiti

https://doi.org/10.58419/gbs.v12i1.1212601

Published Online: July 28, 2026

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

1. Prabal Bhattarai, Student, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India , Bangalore, Karnataka, India (prabalbhattarai121@gmail.com)

2. Anindita Jana, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India , Bangalore, Karnataka, India (aninditaecon@gmail.com)

3. * Susobhan Maiti, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore, India , Bangalore, Karnataka, India (susobhaneco@gmail.com)

This paper investigates the relationship between renewable energy consumption and income inequality across seven South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries of Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from 2011 to 2021. Bhutan and Nepal demonstrate high renewable adoption through hydropower development, while wealthier nations like the Maldives remain reliant on fossil fuels. Conversely, Bangladesh and India illustrate how targeted policy interventions linking renewable expansion to poverty reduction can simultaneously address energy access and inequality. The paper offers evidence-based recommendations for aligning renewable energy growth with social equity, positioning renewables as both a climate strategy and a tool for reducing structural inequality in South Asia.

Keywords

Renewable Energy Consumption, Income Inequality, Gini Coefficient, Climate Resilience, Socio-Economic Development, Energy Poverty

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