About 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa still had no electricity in 2023
The share of Sub-Saharan Africans with electricity access has climbed from 26% in 2000 to 55% in 2024, but population growth kept the number without power near 600 million.
The access rate in Sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled, from 25.7% of the population in 2000 to 55.1% in 2024 [S1]. But fast population growth means the absolute number of people without power barely moved. The IEA and its partners report the figure stabilised at around 600 million in 2023, about 80% of all people worldwide who lack electricity [S2]. So progress on the rate is real, yet the region is not closing the gap in human terms. The honest caveat: the access rate and the headcount come from different years and slightly different region definitions, so they are directional, not a single clean total.
- Access rose from 26% of people in 2000 to 55% in 2024.
- Around 600 million people still lacked power in 2023.
- Sub-Saharan Africa holds about 80% of the world's unconnected people.
- TIER A World Bank, Access to electricity (% of population), Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS (2024). https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/ZG/indicator/EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS?format=json
Access rate time series 2000-2024 - TIER A IEA (Tracking SDG7, with World Bank, IRENA, UN DESA, WHO), SDG7: Data and Projections - Access to electricity (2023). https://www.iea.org/reports/sdg7-data-and-projections/access-to-electricity
About 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa without access, 80% of global total