Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas by country
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.
Countries reporting
212
Highest
100.0%
Aruba
Lowest
22.8%
South Sudan
Median
100.0%
Years covered
35
1990–2024
Data points
6,652
What the numbers show
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas is currently reported for 212 countries. The highest value is 100.0% in Aruba; the lowest is 22.8% in South Sudan.
The median across all reporting countries is 100.0%, and the mean is 95.1%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 4.
Over the past decade 106 countries rose and 6 fell. The largest increase was in Liberia (up 275.0%), and the largest decrease in Equatorial Guinea (down 2.7%).
Access to electricity in urban vs. rural areas: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aruba | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Albania | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Andorra | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Argentina | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | rising |
| 1 | Armenia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 1 | Antigua and Barbuda | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Australia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Austria | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Azerbaijan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Belgium | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bulgaria | 100.0% | 2024 | up 2.2% | flat |
| 1 | Bahrain | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bahamas | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Belarus | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 1 | Bermuda | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Barbados | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Brunei | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Bhutan | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 1 | Canada | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Switzerland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Chile | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | China | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cuba | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Curacao | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cayman Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Cyprus | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Czechia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Germany | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Dominica | 100.0% | 2024 | — | flat |
| 1 | Denmark | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Algeria | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Ecuador | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 1 | Egypt | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Spain | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Estonia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Finland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | France | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Faroe Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | United Kingdom | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Georgia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Gibraltar | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Greece | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Greenland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guam | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Guyana | 100.0% | 2024 | up 5.9% | rising |
| 1 | Hong Kong | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Croatia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Hungary | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Indonesia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.3% | rising |
| 1 | Isle of Man | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | India | 100.0% | 2024 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 1 | Ireland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Iran | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Iraq | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Iceland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Israel | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Italy | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Jordan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Japan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kazakhstan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kyrgyzstan | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Cambodia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 1 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | South Korea | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Kuwait | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Laos | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 1 | Lebanon | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Libya | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saint Lucia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 1 | Liechtenstein | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sri Lanka | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 1 | Lithuania | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Luxembourg | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Latvia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Macao | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saint Martin (French part) | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Morocco | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.8% | rising |
| 1 | Monaco | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Moldova | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Maldives | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Macedonia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Malta | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Montenegro | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.4% | flat |
| 1 | Northern Mariana Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Mauritius | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 1 | Malaysia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | New Caledonia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Nicaragua | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 1 | Netherlands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Norway | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Nauru | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 1 | New Zealand | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Oman | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Palau | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Poland | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Puerto Rico | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Portugal | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Palestine | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 1 | French Polynesia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Qatar | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Romania | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 1 | Russia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Singapore | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | San Marino | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Serbia | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 1 | Suriname | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 1 | Slovakia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Slovenia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sweden | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Seychelles | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Syria | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Thailand | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Turkmenistan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | East Timor | 100.0% | 2024 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 1 | Tonga | 100.0% | 2024 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 1 | Trinidad and Tobago | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tunisia | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Turkey | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Tuvalu | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 1 | Ukraine | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uruguay | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 1 | United States | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 100.0% | 2024 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 1 | Venezuela | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | British Virgin Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 1 | United States Virgin Islands | 100.0% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | Vietnam | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 1 | Samoa | 100.0% | 2024 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 135 | Brazil | 99.9% | 2024 | unchanged | flat |
| 135 | Colombia | 99.9% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 135 | Costa Rica | 99.9% | 2024 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 135 | Mexico | 99.9% | 2024 | up 0.3% | flat |
| 135 | Paraguay | 99.9% | 2024 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 135 | Tajikistan | 99.9% | 2024 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 141 | Belize | 99.8% | 2024 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 141 | Bolivia | 99.8% | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 141 | Dominican Republic | 99.8% | 2024 | down 0.1% | rising |
| 141 | Philippines | 99.8% | 2024 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 145 | Nepal | 99.7% | 2024 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 146 | Bangladesh | 99.5% | 2024 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 147 | Mongolia | 99.4% | 2024 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 147 | El Salvador | 99.4% | 2024 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 149 | Honduras | 99.3% | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 150 | Guatemala | 99.2% | 2024 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 151 | Jamaica | 99.1% | 2024 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 152 | Gabon | 99.0% | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 152 | Peru | 99.0% | 2024 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 154 | Micronesia (country) | 98.8% | 2024 | up 11.1% | rising |
| 155 | Cape Verde | 98.6% | 2024 | up 7.3% | rising |
| 155 | Ghana | 98.6% | 2024 | up 8.6% | rising |
| 157 | Comoros | 98.5% | 2024 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 158 | Pakistan | 98.4% | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 159 | Fiji | 98.2% | 2024 | up 1.2% | rising |
| 160 | Kenya | 98.1% | 2024 | up 43.4% | rising |
| 161 | Panama | 98.0% | 2024 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 162 | Marshall Islands | 97.4% | 2024 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 163 | Afghanistan | 97.0% | 2024 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 163 | Kiribati | 97.0% | 2024 | up 8.9% | flat |
| 165 | Botswana | 96.7% | 2024 | up 25.9% | rising |
| 166 | Togo | 96.0% | 2024 | up 15.4% | rising |
| 167 | Senegal | 95.7% | 2024 | up 12.6% | rising |
| 168 | Cameroon | 95.6% | 2024 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 169 | Myanmar | 95.3% | 2024 | up 11.5% | rising |
| 170 | Ethiopia | 95.1% | 2024 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 171 | Yemen | 95.0% | 2024 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 172 | Cote d'Ivoire | 94.3% | 2024 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 173 | Mauritania | 94.2% | 2024 | up 22.5% | rising |
| 174 | Guinea | 93.6% | 2024 | up 19.1% | rising |
| 175 | South Africa | 92.4% | 2024 | up 6.3% | rising |
| 176 | Eswatini | 92.1% | 2024 | up 9.6% | rising |
| 177 | Vanuatu | 90.1% | 2024 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 178 | Equatorial Guinea | 89.3% | 2024 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 179 | Mali | 88.6% | 2024 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 180 | Rwanda | 88.0% | 2024 | up 22.6% | rising |
| 181 | Sudan | 87.9% | 2024 | up 15.2% | rising |
| 182 | Burkina Faso | 87.8% | 2024 | up 50.3% | rising |
| 183 | Gambia | 85.6% | 2024 | up 20.7% | rising |
| 183 | Haiti | 85.6% | 2024 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 185 | Nigeria | 85.5% | 2024 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 186 | Lesotho | 85.2% | 2024 | up 38.5% | rising |
| 186 | Tanzania | 85.2% | 2024 | up 59.0% | rising |
| 188 | Zimbabwe | 85.1% | 2024 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 189 | Solomon Islands | 82.3% | 2024 | up 20.9% | rising |
| 190 | Zambia | 80.3% | 2024 | up 30.6% | rising |
| 191 | Mozambique | 79.8% | 2024 | up 17.4% | rising |
| 192 | Sao Tome and Principe | 78.9% | 2024 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 193 | Uganda | 78.3% | 2024 | up 52.3% | rising |
| 194 | Eritrea | 78.1% | 2024 | up 1.4% | falling |
| 195 | Angola | 78.0% | 2024 | up 52.9% | rising |
| 196 | Namibia | 77.2% | 2024 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 197 | Madagascar | 75.9% | 2024 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 198 | Djibouti | 74.9% | 2024 | up 11.6% | rising |
| 199 | Somalia | 73.4% | 2024 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 200 | Congo | 72.0% | 2024 | up 18.0% | rising |
| 201 | Benin | 71.6% | 2024 | up 28.3% | rising |
| 202 | Burundi | 70.0% | 2024 | up 34.4% | rising |
| 203 | Niger | 69.1% | 2024 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 204 | Papua New Guinea | 66.8% | 2024 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 205 | Guinea-Bissau | 65.6% | 2024 | up 98.2% | rising |
| 206 | Malawi | 59.5% | 2024 | up 29.1% | rising |
| 207 | Sierra Leone | 56.4% | 2024 | up 28.2% | rising |
| 208 | Liberia | 55.5% | 2024 | up 275.0% | volatile |
| 209 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 55.0% | 2024 | up 31.0% | rising |
| 210 | Chad | 51.0% | 2024 | up 87.5% | volatile |
| 211 | Central African Republic | 38.8% | 2024 | up 34.7% | rising |
| 212 | South Sudan | 22.8% | 2024 | up 96.6% | rising |
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.