655 million people still living without electricity underscore urgent need to deliver on universal energy access target

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 two 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.
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 per cent of global electricity consumption; while renewable energy-generating capacity reached a global record of 544 watts (enough to power a refrigerator) per person. International public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries increased slightly to US$ 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 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 targets.
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.
In this context, accelerating domestic renewable energy deployment is increasingly seen as essential both for strengthening energy security and affordability as well as advancing long-term climate and development objectives. Distributed renewable energy solutions, including off-grid solar and mini-grids, are a cost-effective solution for electricity access, already serving hundreds of millions of people. Electric cooking, bioethanol and biogas are also gaining traction as scalable renewable energy cooking solutions, helping to further diversify clean cooking pathways.
Affordability remains a major obstacle to expanding electricity access. Even where infrastructure is available, many households cannot afford connection fees, wiring costs or basic energy services. As countries work to reach the remaining unelectrified population, target subsidies, innovative financing mechanisms and least cost electrification solutions will be essential to ensure that no one is left behind.
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 per cent decrease from 2023.
Stronger political leadership, improved cross-sector coordination, and a strategic focus on the countries and communities most at risk of being left behind remain cross-cutting priorities in the lead up to 2030. Clear policy signals and sustained implementation are fundamental to diversifying the national energy mix, increasing renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports and bolstering macroeconomic resilience against global supply chain disruptions.
Key findings across primary indicators:
- Access to electricity. Despite gains, progress remains far too slow. In 2024, the global access rate stagnated at 92 per cent, 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 per cent 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 per cent 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 per cent in 2022 to 1.5 per cent 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 per cent of total flows in 2024. Grants accounted for 13 per cent, while equity financing and risk guarantees remained comparatively marginal at 2 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.
The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 8 July 2026, following the in-depth review of SDG 7 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Quotes
Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
“Access to modern energy starts with two fundamentals: clean cooking and electricity. Since 2010, 1.5 billion people have gained access to clean cooking and 800 million have gained access to electricity, showing that with the right policies, progress is possible. The IEA is working with governments, industry and international partners to accelerate the investment and policy action needed to achieve universal access worldwide, particularly for clean cooking. While SDG7 is an energy goal, its benefits extend far beyond the energy sector – improving health, expanding economic opportunity, strengthening security and building more resilient communities.”
Francesco La Camera, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency
“Recent global energy shocks have made one thing clear: countries with strong renewable energy capacity are better positioned to withstand economic and supply disruptions. Accelerating the deployment of cost-competitive domestic renewables must now be central to strengthening both energy security and economic resilience, while pursuing SDG 7. To achieve this, the international community must prioritise affordable and tailored financial support, particularly for least developed countries facing the greatest barriers to access.”
Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
“We have seen encouraging progress in expanding access to affordable, reliable and clean energy in recent years. However, this year’s report shows that millions of people still lack access, making clear that progress is not keeping pace with the ambition of Sustainable Development Goal 7, and that disparities across countries remain significant. The current global energy crisis presents an opportunity to accelerate the transition to clean energy in support of energy security. Seizing this opportunity will require substantial scaling-up of international support and investment. We cannot afford complacency. The time to act with greater urgency and ambition is now.”
Valerie Levkov, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank Group
“Energy security and affordability have become global priorities, and this will remain a defining challenge for years to come. Electricity demand is growing rapidly, yet millions of people still live without access to electricity, with Sub-Saharan Africa bearing the greatest burden and missing out on opportunities for economic growth, jobs, and development. We have the solutions to accelerate progress—proven technologies, effective financing models, and strong partnerships—but constrained public budgets mean we must also mobilize much greater private sector investment. Working together, we can deliver reliable, affordable energy to the people who need it most.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization
“Universal access to clean and sustainable energy is not merely an energy challenge; it is a fundamental health imperative. Household air pollution from cooking fuels costs millions of lives, causes long-term disease and disability, and harms our environment. It disproportionately burdens displaced populations and women and girls who spend hours gathering fuels, exacerbating inequality for the most vulnerable. Amid an unprecedented crisis in energy security, a transition to clean cooking is essential to promote health, gender equality, mitigate climate change and to reduce costs for households and governments.”
About the report
This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO), and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.
This year’s edition was chaired by UN DESA.
The report can be downloaded at https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/
Funding for the report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).