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Indicators · Energy and power

Access to electricity

Share of people with an electricity connection, from the grid or off-grid sources.

Why it matters

Power is a precondition for manufacturing, cold chains and digital services. Low access is also the biggest off-grid solar and mini-grid opportunity in the world.

Read with care

A connection does not mean reliable supply. Several countries with high access still ration power.

Source

World Bank

% of population. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2024.

Electricity access: highest in Mauritius, lowest in Malawi

Access to electricity, % of population. Latest year available, 2024. 16 of 16 countries have data.

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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: electricity accessiWhy it mattersPower is a precondition for manufacturing, cold chains and digital services. Low access is also the biggest off-grid solar and mini-grid opportunity in the world.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%20%40%60%80%100%Mauritius100.0%Seychelles100.0%Comoros91.7%South Africa90.2%Eswatini89.3%Botswana80.2%Zimbabwe62.0%Lesotho60.6%Namibia59.3%Angola55.5%Zambia53.6%Tanzania52.4%Madagascar42.5%Mozambique36.9%DRC22.5%Malawi15.6%median 60.0%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 60.0%Lowest: Malawi 15.6%Highest: Seychelles 100.0%

Over time

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Access to electricity against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Electricity accessDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiNamibia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Mauritius100.0%2024little changed since 2019A
2Seychelles100.0%2024little changed since 2019A
3Comoros91.7%2024up 8.4 points since 2019A
4South Africa90.2%2024up 5.2 points since 2019A
5Eswatini89.3%2024up 12.3 points since 2019A
6Botswana80.2%2024up 10.1 points since 2019A
7Zimbabwe62.0%2024up 15.3 points since 2019A
8Lesotho60.6%2024up 16.0 points since 2019A
9Namibia59.3%2024up 6.0 points since 2019A
10Angola55.5%2024up 9.9 points since 2019A
11Zambia53.6%2024up 10.6 points since 2019A
12Tanzania52.4%2024up 14.7 points since 2019A
13Madagascar42.5%2024up 11.5 points since 2019A
14Mozambique36.9%2024up 7.2 points since 2019A
15DRC22.5%2024up 3.4 points since 2019A
16Malawi15.6%2024up 4.4 points since 2019A