Electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Electric power transmission and distribution losses was 25.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1971–2024
Source: IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA). Measured in % of output.
Analysis
In 2024, electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 25.8%. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
That represents a change of up 92.9% on the previous year and up 111.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 25.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 1986.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 1st of 46 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of output | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 7.9% | — |
| 1972 | 7.3% | -7.7% |
| 1973 | 7.5% | +2.9% |
| 1974 | 7.4% | -2.0% |
| 1975 | 7.7% | +4.0% |
| 1976 | 7.7% | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | +6.7% |
| 1979 | 9.1% | +12.0% |
| 1980 | 9.2% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 9.7% | +6.2% |
| 1982 | 8.6% | -11.8% |
| 1983 | 9.1% | +6.4% |
| 1984 | 8.7% | -5.3% |
| 1985 | 8.4% | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 6.6% | -21.6% |
| 1987 | 7.5% | +14.1% |
| 1988 | 7.4% | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 7.7% | +3.5% |
| 1990 | 7.8% | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 8.4% | +6.6% |
| 1992 | 9.2% | +9.9% |
| 1993 | 8.7% | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 9.2% | +6.8% |
| 1995 | 8.1% | -11.8% |
| 1996 | 9.1% | +11.3% |
| 1997 | 9.2% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 9.7% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 9.8% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 10.4% | +5.6% |
| 2001 | 10.5% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | -8.3% |
| 2003 | 10.7% | +11.3% |
| 2004 | 12.2% | +14.3% |
| 2005 | 11.2% | -8.6% |
| 2006 | 11.3% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 10.8% | -4.3% |
| 2008 | 11.4% | +6.3% |
| 2009 | 12.2% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 12.0% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 11.7% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 11.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | +5.1% |
| 2015 | 11.9% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 11.8% | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 12.3% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 12.2% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 13.3% | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 13.3% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 13.3% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 13.4% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 25.8% | +92.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +92.9% | 13.4% | 25.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.8% | 7.3% | 9.1% | 9 |
| 1980s | 8.3% | 6.6% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.9% | 7.8% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 9.6% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 11.6% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.8% | 13.3% | 25.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More energy & mining data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Fuel imports 23.6% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 2.0% (2024)
- Ores and metals exports 16.1% (2024)
- Fuel exports 40.1% (2024)
- Mineral rents 2.9% (2021)
- Natural gas rents 0.5% (2021)
- Total natural resources rents 10.0% (2021)
- Alternative and nuclear energy 17.4% (2024)
- Electric power consumption 376.79 kWh per capita (2023)
- Combustible renewables and waste 62.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Electric power transmission and distribution losses in Sub-Saharan Africa was 25.8% in 2024, according to IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA).
- What is the highest electric power transmission and distribution losses recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 25.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest electric power transmission and distribution losses recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 1986.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for electric power transmission and distribution losses?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 1st out of 46 groups with data for 2024.
- Is electric power transmission and distribution losses rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 111.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from IEA Energy Statistics Data Browser, International Energy Agency (IEA), published as part of Electric power transmission and distribution losses (% of output). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Electric power transmission and distribution losses include losses in transmission between sources of supply and points of distribution and in the distribution to consumers, including pilferage. The losses are expressed as a share of the total output.