As of 2023, Nigeria has the highest number of people without electricity access globally, with 86.8 million individuals lacking reliable power, according to the World Bank’s latest energy progress report. The report, titled “Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2025,” was published on Wednesday and evaluates advancements toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which aims to provide affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030.
This marks the third consecutive year that Nigeria has been identified as the country with the most significant electricity access shortfall worldwide. The report indicates that only 61% of Nigeria’s population had electricity access in 2023, while merely 26% had access to clean cooking energy.
The World Bank highlighted that Nigeria (86.8 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (79.6 million), and Ethiopia (56.4 million) collectively account for about one-third of the global electricity access deficit. Among the 20 countries with the largest electricity access gaps, 18 are situated in Sub-Saharan Africa. South Sudan recorded the lowest national access rate at 5%, followed by Chad and Burundi at 12%.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 35 million people gained access to electricity in 2023. However, with an estimated population growth of 30 million during the same period, the overall electricity access gap saw only a slight reduction, decreasing from 570 million in 2022 to 565 million in 2023. The region now represents 85% of the global population without electricity, a significant rise from 50% in 2010.
In contrast, Central and Southern Asia made notable progress between 2020 and 2023, reducing their electricity access deficit from 414 million in 2010 to just 27 million in 2023.
Looking ahead to 2030, the World Bank report states that the global number of people without electricity access has decreased by 665 million since 2010. While 21 countries have achieved near-universal access, challenges persist. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that if current policies remain unchanged, 645 million people will still lack electricity by 2030.
