Almost 92% of the world now has basic electricity access, but over 666 million people still live without power and progress isn’t fast enough to reach everyone by 2030, according to the latest United Nations (UN) energy report. The Tracking SDG 7 report shows that while electricity access improved since 2022, clean cooking access is moving too slowly. More than 2 billion people still cook with dangerous fuels like firewood and charcoal that cause health problems from indoor air pollution.
The numbers reveal huge gaps between regions. Sub-Saharan Africa has made progress but still lags far behind—85% of people without electricity live there, and four out of five families can’t cook cleanly. The region adds 14 million people without clean cooking access every year, even as other areas improve.
Mini-grids and off-grid solar systems could speed up access for remote communities that regular power grids can’t reach easily. These distributed renewable energy solutions work well in rural, low-income areas where most unconnected people live. The same approach could help with clean cooking through household biogas plants and mini-grids that power electric stoves. International funding for clean energy in developing countries grew for the third straight year to $21.6 billion in 2023, and renewable energy capacity per person reached 341 watts in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015.
But sub-Saharan Africa only has 40 watts of renewable capacity per person—one-eighth the average of other developing regions. The report blames insufficient and expensive financing for these regional gaps.
The UN wants more international cooperation between governments and private companies to boost funding for developing countries, especially in Africa. They’re calling for reforms in lending, more grants, better risk management, and improved national energy planning.
