Nigeria and DRC Top List of Nations Lacking Electricity Access

A recent report from the World Bank titled Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 reveals some troubling realities regarding electricity access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s disheartening but not surprising to learn that a large proportion of the world’s electricity deficits are concentrated in this region. As investment in energy infrastructure continues to lag, the urgent need for improvements is clearer than ever.

Despite various initiatives aimed at boosting electrification across the continent, millions remain shrouded in darkness. This lack of access doesn’t merely affect daily living; it stunts economic growth, hampers educational opportunities, and undermines health outcomes. Can we really thrive as a society if basic energy needs go unmet?

The Electricity Deficit in Africa

According to the World Bank report, nearly 92% of the global population now enjoys basic electricity access, a marked improvement from 2022 when, for the first time in a decade, the number of people without power began to decline. However, the report does not shy away from stating the uncomfortable truth: more than 666 million people still lack access to electricity. This stark figure lays bare the inadequacy of current progress in reaching the ambitious goal of universal electricity access by 2030.

Africa stands at the heart of this challenge. Here, millions continue to live without electricity, amplifying the stark disparities in energy access across the globe. Interestingly, while electrification efforts have indeed gained traction, the distribution of electricity remains uneven. In fact, some countries are even experiencing setbacks, largely due to rapid population growth and existing infrastructure limitations.

One quote from the report resonates deeply: “The electricity access challenge is greatest in rural areas, where 84 percent of the world’s people without electricity live.” It’s fascinating yet tragic that, while overall global progress in rural electrification has occurred, it largely stems from significant strides made in Central and Southern Asia. There, the number of rural individuals lacking access plummeted from 383 million in 2010 to just under 25 million in 2023.

In sharp contrast, sub-Saharan Africa faces a different reality. As noted, “In Sub-Saharan Africa, rural population growth outstripped electrification efforts, leaving 451 million people in rural areas without electricity in 2023.” This juxtaposition paints a vivid picture of the urgent need for focused efforts in these underserved regions.

The World Bank report provides a sobering ranked list of African countries grappling with the highest number of people lacking electricity access. Here’s a glance at some of these sobering statistics:

This reveals that a staggering 76 percent of the global electricity access deficit is found in just 20 countries, with sub-Saharan Africa being home to 18 of them. The fact that Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia are at the top of this list is particularly concerning; together, they account for nearly one-third of the global electricity access shortfall.

Alarmingly, the lowest access rates are observed in South Sudan (a mere 5 percent), followed closely by Chad and Burundi (both around 12 percent). These statistics underline the stagnation in yearly progress since 2010, making it clear that there is much work still to be done.

The World Bank emphasizes that bridging the electricity access gap in sub-Saharan Africa is an uphill battle. Although 35 million people gained electricity access in 2023, swift population growth largely negates these advances. The net result? A mere decrease from 570 million to 565 million individuals without electricity.

This burgeoning challenge indicates that sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for an astonishing 85 percent of the global population deprived of electricity. Just over a decade ago, that figure was about 50 percent. The pressing question remains: how can we quicken the pace of electrification in a region where the stakes are so high?

To achieve the goal of universal electricity access by 2030, efforts need to accelerate dramatically. Can we rise to the occasion and ensure that future generations inherit a world where the flick of a switch brings light, opportunity, and hope?