655 million people still living without electricity underscore urgent need to deliver on universal energy access target: Tracking SDG 7
Sub-Saharan Africa left behind as world advances on clean, modern energy
PARIS: At a time when energy security and affordability have risen to the top of the development agenda, 655 million people globally still lack access to electricity, and 2 billion use polluting fuels and technologies for cooking putting their health and well-being at risk.
Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share of these gaps, with over 560 million living without electricity and 970 million lacking access to clean cooking, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The latest edition of Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, featuring new 2023 and 2024 data, shows while most regions are nearing universal access, progress in Sub-Saharan Africa has slowed significantly, and the pace of electrification must triple to achieve universal access by 2030.
Despite these challenges, the report highlights encouraging progress in several areas of sustainable energy.
Renewable energy continued its strong expansion, accounting for over 30% of global electricity consumption; while renewable energy-generating capacity reached a global record of 544 watts per person.
International public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries increased slightly to $24.6 billion; and improvements in global energy efficiency continued to reach 3.76 megajoules per US dollar, although this remains an insufficient pace to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 targets.
Scale-up action needed
However, the report warns that without urgent and scaled-up action, the world will fall short of achieving SDG 7 to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030.
Moreover, while the current global energy crisis is still unfolding, its impact on energy markets and the broader economy are expected to be significant.
Financing constraints are hampering progress, with levels either insufficient to meet the SDG 7 goals or declining altogether in the poorest countries.
International financial flows in support of clean energy to the least developed countries declined significantly, registering $3.7 billion in 2024, an 11% decrease from 2023.
Key findings across primary indicators:
Access to electricity. Despite gains, progress remains far too slow. In 2024, the global access rate stagnated at 92%, and annual growth halved compared to the previous decade. Sub-Saharan Africa and rural populations are increasingly left behind, with the rural deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa growing from 376 million in 2010 to 447 million in 2024. Achieving universal access by 2030 will now require the pace of progress to triple to 1.3% a year.
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking. This remains the largest energy gap, affecting approximately two billion people — roughly one quarter of the world’s population. Progress is uneven, with a stark urban-rural divide: 89 per cent of the urban population have access to clean cooking compared to only 56% of people living in rural areas. Without stronger action, 1.8 billion people could still rely on polluting fuels like charcoal, wood, kerosene, and coal by 2030. Sub-Saharan Africa again accounts for a disproportionate share, with the number of people lacking access expected to reach one billion by 2027. This has severe health consequences, with household air pollution being responsible for some 3 million deaths per year.
Renewable energy. Renewables now supply over 30 per cent of electricity, but their share in heat and transport remains limited. Despite record growth, disparities in renewable energy-generating capacity persist; renewable energy-generating capacity in low-income countries stood at only 33.6 watts per person, compared to 1,224 watts per person in high-income countries.
Energy efficiency. Progress is falling short of the pace required to meet global targets, with the rate of progress falling from 2.4% in 2022 to 1.5% in 2023. Recent improvements in energy intensity remain well below the level needed to align with SDG 7, highlighting a widening gap between ambition and implementation. Strengthening efficiency measures across sectors is essential not only for reducing energy demand but also for lowering costs and emissions.
International public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy. The latest data reveals limited growth, insufficient relative to needs, with flows marginally increasing from US$ 24.4 billion in 2023 to US$ 24.6 billion in 2024. Despite the high cost of debt creating economic strain across developing countries, debt-based financing continues to be the main form of international public clean energy finance, accounting for about 80% of total flows in 2024. Grants accounted for 13%, while equity financing and risk guarantees remained comparatively marginal at 2% and 5%, respectively.
