Beatrice Lang
Access to electricity is critical for a good standard of living and health. While access to electricity has increased globally, with fewer than 1 in 10 people lacking access in recent years, there are still 1.18 billion people who are unable to use electricity. This is due to a lack of electricity service provision, frequent power outages, equipment malfunctions, or gaps in the distribution network. Energy poverty disproportionately affects people in Sub-Saharan Africa, where three-quarters of the world's population without access to electricity reside. Additionally, close to one billion people are served by healthcare facilities with unreliable electricity or no access to electricity at all, which can have life-threatening consequences.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of people without electricity access | 737 million in 2024; projected to be 660 million by 2030 |
| Percentage of people without electricity access | Less than 10% in recent years |
| Region with most people without electricity access | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| People served by healthcare facilities with no electricity access | Close to 1 billion |
| People without access to clean cooking fuels | 2.1 billion |
| People projected to lack electricity access by 2030 | 660 million |
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What You'll Learn
Energy poverty
In 2024, it was estimated that 1.18 billion people worldwide were unable to use electricity, despite two-thirds of the global population having access to electricity in 2020. This disparity is due to frequent power outages, equipment malfunctions, or gaps in the distribution network. In addition, some people with access to electricity cannot afford to use it due to rising costs. For example, South Africa has seen a 600% increase in electricity prices in recent years, making it unaffordable for many.
The consequences of energy poverty can be severe, impacting physical health, mental well-being, and social inclusion. It also affects access to quality healthcare, as reliable electricity is needed to power medical equipment, refrigeration, and communications. In 2023, a report found that close to one billion people were served by healthcare facilities with unreliable electricity or no access, with the majority in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Efforts to address energy poverty include the EU's initiatives such as the Energy Poverty Observatory (EPOV) initiative and the inclusion of energy as an essential service in the European Pillar of Social Rights. Additionally, the Clean energy for all Europeans package introduced obligations to identify, monitor, and address energy poverty through National Energy and Climate Plans. At a local level, the City of Edmonton in Canada has partnered with developers to identify problem areas regarding energy efficiency and develop solutions.
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Lack of electricity service provision
Despite the fact that access to electricity has increased dramatically across the globe since 2000, jumping from 75% of the global population to 90% by 2020, there are still 1.18 billion people who are unable to use electricity. This is due to a lack of electricity service provision, which can be caused by frequent power outages, equipment malfunctions, or gaps in the distribution network. Energy poverty, defined as a lack of adequate, reliable, and affordable energy for lighting, cooking, heating, and other daily activities necessary for welfare and economic development, affects many people worldwide.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the number of people without access to electricity has increased, and the region now accounts for 80% of the global total. Within Sub-Saharan Africa, most of the variation in energy poverty rates are due to within-country differences in population density, remoteness, and land terrain characteristics. This suggests that there are many local opportunities to reduce energy poverty, even without waiting for large-scale infrastructure projects. Additionally, South Asia, which previously had nearly half of the world's people without electricity, has seen a dramatic decrease in recent years.
The lack of electricity access has severe consequences, including serious harms to physical health and mental well-being, social exclusion, and stigmatization. This is especially true in the case of healthcare facilities, where electricity is needed to power basic devices such as lights, communications equipment, and refrigeration. Close to one billion people globally are served by healthcare facilities with unreliable electricity supply or no electricity access at all, and approximately two-thirds of these facilities require some form of urgent intervention.
To address energy poverty and improve access to electricity, decentralized sustainable energy solutions such as solar photovoltaics systems have been proposed. These solutions are cost-effective, clean, and rapidly deployable on-site without waiting for the central grid. Additionally, achieving universal access to electricity by 2030 would require annual investments of USD 30 billion, with a focus on investments in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Inadequate healthcare facilities
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforAll), close to one billion people in low- and lower-middle-income countries are served by healthcare facilities with unreliable electricity supply or no electricity access at all. This lack of access to electricity in healthcare facilities has severe consequences for the quality of healthcare provided, impacting everything from routine procedures to emergency situations.
Electricity is essential for powering basic medical devices, such as lights, communication equipment, refrigeration, and devices that measure vital signs. It is also crucial for sterilizing medical equipment, preserving life-saving vaccines, and performing essential surgeries and deliveries. Without reliable electricity, healthcare facilities cannot provide the necessary level of care, and Universal Health Coverage cannot be achieved.
The report found that more than 1 in 10 health facilities in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa lack any electricity access, with power being unreliable for half of the facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. These regions have experienced an increase in population without access to electricity, reversing the positive trend of the past two decades. Disparities in electricity access within countries are stark, with primary healthcare centres and rural health facilities being less likely to have electricity access than hospitals and urban facilities.
To address this issue, the World Bank needs analysis estimates that $4.9 billion is urgently required to bring these healthcare facilities to a minimal standard of electrification. Implementing decentralized sustainable energy solutions, such as solar photovoltaics systems, can provide a cost-effective, clean, and rapidly deployable option without waiting for the central grid to arrive. These solutions have the potential to significantly improve public health and save lives.
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Ineffective renewable energy deployment
While access to electricity has increased globally, with the share of people gaining access rising from 75% in 2000 to 90% in 2020, there are still 1.18 billion people who are unable to use electricity. This is due to a variety of factors, including frequent power outages, equipment malfunctions, and gaps in the distribution network. Energy poverty, defined as the lack of adequate, reliable, and affordable energy for essential daily activities, affects many people, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
To address energy poverty and provide access to electricity for all, effective deployment of renewable energy is crucial. However, there are several barriers that hinder the effective deployment of renewable energy sources. Firstly, there are technological barriers, such as the lack of national policies, bureaucratic hurdles, inadequate incentives, impractical government targets, and insufficient standards and certifications. These issues create confusion and hinder the integration of renewable energy technologies into the global market.
Economic barriers also play a significant role in ineffective renewable energy deployment. The upfront capital costs of building and installing renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar and wind farms, can be high, making financial institutions perceive renewables as risky investments. Additionally, renewable energy sources face stiff competition from more established energy sources like coal, nuclear, and natural gas, which have benefited from significant historical investments and hold a strong position in the energy market.
Furthermore, regulatory and policy barriers exist, with inconsistent energy policies, insufficient confidence in renewable energy technologies, and a lack of integration with the global market. These issues create uncertainty and hinder the large-scale deployment of renewable energy solutions. Social and cultural factors also influence the deployment of renewable energy, impacting local acceptance and adoption of new technologies.
To overcome these challenges and effectively deploy renewable energy, strong political and regulatory frameworks are necessary. Countries need to implement policies that support and promote renewable energy sources, reducing the barriers that prevent effective competition with traditional energy options. Additionally, addressing the opportunity cost of investing in carbon capture instead of directly replacing fossil fuel generators with clean energy sources is crucial.
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Inaccessible clean cooking fuels
Access to electricity and clean cooking fuels is essential for a good standard of living and good health. While global access to electricity has increased significantly in recent decades, with the share of people lacking access decreasing from 2 in 10 people in 2000 to fewer than 1 in 10 in recent years, there are still significant disparities in access. As of 2024, it is estimated that around 1.18 billion people worldwide are unable to use electricity due to factors such as frequent power outages, equipment malfunctions, or gaps in the distribution network.
One of the key issues related to lack of access to electricity is the inability to use clean cooking fuels. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of 2022, 2.1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean cooking fuels, relying instead on polluting fuels such as solid biomass, kerosene, coal, wood, dung, or charcoal. The use of these inefficient and polluting fuels is a major health risk, contributing to diseases and deaths, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Household air pollution, largely from cooking smoke, is linked to approximately 3.7 million premature deaths annually.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the issue of inaccessible clean cooking fuels is particularly prominent. This region represents around half of the access gap, with 29 countries having access rates below 20%. As a result, many people in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on gathering or purchasing wood, charcoal, and other biomass for cooking, which has severe health, environmental, and productivity impacts. The inefficient combustion of fuelwood and charcoal leads to high methane and greenhouse gas emissions, while unsustainable harvesting contributes to deforestation.
To address this issue, significant policy changes and investments are required. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed a diverse portfolio of technologies to achieve full access to clean cooking by 2030, including LPG, improved biomass cookstoves, electricity, biogas, and ethanol. Electric cooking is becoming an increasingly attractive option due to declining appliance costs and efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuels. However, progress towards universal access to clean cooking has been limited, especially in the context of the energy crisis and inflationary pressures following the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Frequently asked questions
As of 2024, 1.18 billion people are unable to use electricity, with 733 million people lacking any electricity connection at all.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to three-quarters of the world's population without access to electricity.
Energy poverty has severe consequences for physical health and mental well-being, as well as social exclusion and stigmatization. Access to electricity is also critical for quality healthcare provision, from delivering babies to managing emergencies.
Since 2000, access to electricity has increased significantly, jumping from 75% of the global population to 90% in 2020. Notable progress has been made in developing Asian countries, with India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh achieving near-universal access.
