Lesotho vs Papua New Guinea: Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access
Lesotho
41.4%
in 2024
Papua New Guinea
39.0%
in 2024
Lesotho rank
183rd
Papua New Guinea rank
186th
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access over time
- Lesotho
- Papua New Guinea
How they compare
Lesotho currently reports 41.4% against 39.0% in Papua New Guinea, a difference of 2.4%.
That makes Lesotho's figure about 1.1 times Papua New Guinea's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 21 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Papua New Guinea ahead.
Lesotho ranks 183rd and Papua New Guinea ranks 186th of 212 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Lesotho averaged higher in 2 and Papua New Guinea in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | Papua New Guinea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.8% | 6.6% | 1.8% | Papua New Guinea |
| 2010s | 16.5% | 11.0% | 5.6% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 39.5% | 18.8% | 20.7% | Lesotho |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access, Lesotho or Papua New Guinea?
- Lesotho, at 41.4% against 39.0% in Papua New Guinea as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access between Lesotho and Papua New Guinea?
- 2.4%, with Lesotho ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and Papua New Guinea?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Lesotho and Papua New Guinea rank globally for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access?
- Lesotho ranks 183rd and Papua New Guinea ranks 186th 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 Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Having access to electricity is defined in international statistics as having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.