Despite steady improvements in global energy access, more than 666 million people worldwide still live without electricity, a stark reminder that the world is off track to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of universal energy access by 2030, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partner agencies.
The report reveals that 92 percent of the global population now has basic electricity access, up slightly from previous years. However, it warns that the current rate of progress is too slow to close the remaining gap within the next five years.
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Persistent inequality in energy access
Significant regional disparities remain, particularly in rural and low-income areas. The report finds that approximately 1.5 billion people in rural regions still lack access to clean cooking solutions, relying instead on polluting and dangerous fuels such as firewood and charcoal.
These traditional energy sources are linked to severe health risks, including respiratory illnesses and early deaths, and contribute to environmental degradation and deforestation.
Financing shortfalls undermine progress
One of the report’s key findings is the insufficient and uneven financing for clean energy in developing countries. While international public financial flows increased after 2022, funding levels in 2023 remained significantly below those seen in 2016.
The report highlights that this funding gap is particularly acute in sub-Saharan Africa, where both electrification and access to clean cooking technologies lag far behind global averages.
“Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa,” said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as 85 percent of the global population without electricity access reside in sub-Saharan Africa.
Call to action: Scaling up global support
To bridge the energy access gap, the WHO and its partners are urging the international community to ramp up public and private sector collaboration, especially to increase investment in clean and sustainable energy infrastructure in underserved regions.
The report calls for a renewed focus on scalable, affordable solutions — from decentralized solar power to clean cooking technologies — and emphasizes the need for policy reforms, targeted subsidies, and international cooperation to make these options accessible to the world’s poorest communities.
As the world nears the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs, the report serves as a critical reminder that energy poverty remains a major global challenge — one that demands urgent, collective action to ensure no one is left behind.
