Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal
Nepal: Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access was 94.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal, 1996–2024
Source: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
In 2024, share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal stood at 94.2%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal peaked at 94.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.4%, in 1997.
Nepal ranks 142nd of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 10.2% | — |
| 1997 | 9.4% | -7.1% |
| 1998 | 13.0% | +38.1% |
| 1999 | 16.6% | +27.7% |
| 2000 | 21.3% | +28.1% |
| 2001 | 14.7% | -31.0% |
| 2002 | 28.0% | +90.5% |
| 2003 | 31.5% | +12.5% |
| 2004 | 28.5% | -9.5% |
| 2005 | 38.6% | +35.4% |
| 2006 | 44.1% | +14.2% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 49.5% | +8.1% |
| 2009 | 53.2% | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 63.2% | +18.8% |
| 2011 | 61.7% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 70.9% | +14.9% |
| 2013 | 73.5% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 82.1% | +11.7% |
| 2015 | 79.0% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 89.8% | +13.7% |
| 2017 | 84.6% | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 93.5% | +10.5% |
| 2022 | 93.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 93.4% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 94.2% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.3% | 9.4% | 16.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 35.5% | 14.7% | 53.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.6% | 61.7% | 93.5% | 9 |
| 2020s | 93.8% | 93.4% | 94.2% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More energy & mining data for Nepal
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 5.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 23.0% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal?
- Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access in Nepal was 94.2% in 2024, according to SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 94.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4% in 1997.
- How does Nepal rank for share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access?
- Nepal ranks 142nd out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nepal data come from?
- The figures come from SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of rural vs. urban population with electricity access. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.