Sao Tome and Principe vs Zambia: Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas
Sao Tome and Principe
78.9%
in 2024
Zambia
80.3%
in 2024
Sao Tome and Principe rank
192nd
Zambia rank
190th
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas over time
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 80.3% against 78.9% in Sao Tome and Principe, a difference of 1.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Sao Tome and Principe ahead.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 192nd and Zambia ranks 190th of 212 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Sao Tome and Principe averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sao Tome and Principe | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.3% | 49.5% | 16.7% | Sao Tome and Principe |
| 2010s | 72.8% | 66.0% | 6.7% | Sao Tome and Principe |
| 2020s | 79.9% | 85.1% | 5.2% | Zambia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas, Sao Tome and Principe or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 80.3% against 78.9% in Sao Tome and Principe as of 2024.
- What is the difference in access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas between Sao Tome and Principe and Zambia?
- 1.4%, with Zambia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sao Tome and Principe and Zambia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Sao Tome and Principe and Zambia rank globally for access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 192nd and Zambia ranks 190th of 212 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The definition used in international statistics adopts a very low cutoff for what it means to ‘have access to electricity’. It is defined as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.