Regulatory Impact Analysis

Trend in RIA adoption across OECD jurisdictions

RIA adoption across OECD countries

Note: Based on data from 36 countries and the European Commission.

Source:2014 and 2017 Regulatory Indicators Survey results, Measuring Regulatory Performance.

Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) is a systemic approach to critically assessing the positive and negative effects of proposed and existing regulations and non-regulatory alternatives. As employed in OECD countries it encompasses a range of methods. It is an important element of an evidence-based approach to policy making.

OECD analysis shows that conducting RIA within an appropriate systematic framework can underpin the capacity of governments to ensure that regulations are efficient and effective in a changing and complex world. Some form of RIA has now been adopted by all OECD members, but they have all nevertheless found the successful implementation of RIA administratively and technically challenging.

This page provides links to the considerable research undertaken by the OECD on methodological issues and country experiences with the implementation of RIA and includes guidance material to improve the performance of RIA, its early integration with policy making and the promotion of more coherent regulatory policy across government.

Publications