Number of people without access to electricity in India
India: Number of people without access to electricity was 1.45 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of people without access to electricity in India, 1993–2024
Source: Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people without access to electricity in India is 1.45 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 79.8% on the previous year and down 99.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people without access to electricity in India peaked at 472.36 million people in 1994 and was at its lowest, 1.45 million people, in 2024.
That places India 47th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people without access to electricity in India, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 452.76 million people | — |
| 1994 | 472.36 million people | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 466.62 million people | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 460.41 million people | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 453.66 million people | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 446.36 million people | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 414.25 million people | -7.2% |
| 2000 | 420.00 million people | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 409.60 million people | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 413.80 million people | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 386.41 million people | -6.6% |
| 2004 | 404.41 million people | +4.7% |
| 2005 | 360.26 million people | -10.9% |
| 2006 | 376.49 million people | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 329.82 million people | -12.4% |
| 2008 | 312.85 million people | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 306.38 million people | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 294.70 million people | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 258.55 million people | -12.3% |
| 2012 | 257.01 million people | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 219.00 million people | -14.8% |
| 2014 | 195.53 million people | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 159.36 million people | -18.5% |
| 2016 | 139.77 million people | -12.3% |
| 2017 | 111.49 million people | -20.2% |
| 2018 | 59.11 million people | -47.0% |
| 2019 | 56.95 million people | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 49.09 million people | -13.8% |
| 2021 | 5.66 million people | -88.5% |
| 2022 | 11.40 million people | +101.6% |
| 2023 | 7.19 million people | -36.9% |
| 2024 | 1.45 million people | -79.8% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.45 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 781,524 people, 1.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 1.45 million people is above the median for South Asia, which is 311,336 people, 4.7× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people without access to electricity in India 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +101.6% | 5.66 million people | 11.40 million people |
| 2021 | -88.5% | 49.09 million people | 5.66 million people |
| 2024 | -79.8% | 7.19 million people | 1.45 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 452.35 million people | 414.25 million people | 472.36 million people | 7 |
| 2000s | 372.00 million people | 306.38 million people | 420.00 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 175.15 million people | 56.95 million people | 294.70 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.96 million people | 1.45 million people | 49.09 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More energy & mining data for India
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 0.7224 % change on previous year (2025)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2025)
- Fuel imports 31.5% (2024)
- Ores and metals imports 6.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people without access to electricity in India?
- Number of people without access to electricity in India was 1.45 million people in 2024, according to Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people without access to electricity recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 472.36 million people in 1994.
- What is the lowest number of people without access to electricity recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.45 million people in 2024.
- How does India rank for number of people without access to electricity?
- India ranks 47th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people without access to electricity rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 99.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from Data compiled from multiple sources by the World Bank – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people without access to electricity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Access to electricity means having an electricity source that can provide very basic lighting, and charge a phone or power a radio for 4 hours per day.