Access to electricity (% of population) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Access to electricity (% of population) was 55.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1996–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 55.1%. That is the highest value across all 29 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 43.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 55.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 25.7%, in 2000.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Access to electricity (% of population) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 28.5% | — |
| 1997 | 28.4% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 28.6% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 30.1% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 25.7% | -14.7% |
| 2001 | 26.2% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | +4.5% |
| 2003 | 29.6% | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 29.4% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 29.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 31.2% | +6.3% |
| 2007 | 32.5% | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 32.4% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 32.6% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 35.9% | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 36.8% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 38.0% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 38.4% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 39.2% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 43.8% | +11.8% |
| 2017 | 43.8% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 46.4% | +6.1% |
| 2019 | 47.2% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 48.5% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 50.7% | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 51.5% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 53.3% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 55.1% | +3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.9% | 28.4% | 30.1% | 4 |
| 2000s | 29.6% | 25.7% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.3% | 33.3% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.8% | 48.5% | 55.1% | 5 |
More energy & mining data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ores and metals imports 2.0% (2024)
- Electricity production from oil, gas and coal sources 41.8% (2023)
- Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding 17.87 kWh per person (2021)
- Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding 0.01 kWh per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding 895.81 kWh per square kilometre (2021)
- Energy intensity level of primary energy 3.89 mj per gdp con ppp usd (2023)
- Electricity production from renewable sources, excluding 20.35 % change on previous year (2021)
- Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption 61.2% (2023)
- Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and 22.0% (2024)
- International financial flows to developing countries in support of 4,994 million constant US$ (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa was 55.1% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB).
- What is the highest access to electricity recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest access to electricity recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.7% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for access to electricity?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is access to electricity rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 43.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB), published as part of Access to electricity (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources.