Energy gaps: Slight, uneven progress still leaves many Africans without electricity, Afrobarometer survey shows

Progress in electrification in Africa remains slow and uneven, the latest Afrobarometer Pan-Africa Profile shows.

The findings, based on 53,444 face-to-face interviews in 39 African countries, show that very modest gains in access and connection still leave a majority of households without reliable electricity. While experiences vary dramatically by country, on average, fewer than half of households enjoy a reliable supply of electricity. Rural and poor households are particularly disadvantaged – with regard not only to access and connection, but also to service quality.

Overall, fewer than half of Africans are satisfied with their government’s performance on electricity provision.

Afrobarometer survey

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 9 surveys (2021/2023) cover 39 countries.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-2 to +/-3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Key findings

• (Figure 2).
• ewer than half (44%) of Africans enjoy a supply of electricity that works “most” or “all” of the time (Figure 3).

Charts

Figure 1: Access to the electric grid | 39 countries | 2021/2023

Surveyors recorded whether enumeration areas had an electricity grid that most houses could access. (% “yes”)

Figure 2: Access vs. connection to the electric grid | 39 countries | 2021/2023

Surveyors recorded whether enumeration areas had an electricity grid that most houses could access. (% “yes”)

Respondents were asked: Do you have an electric connection to your home from the mains? (% “yes”)

Figure 3: Reliability of connections to the electric grid | 39 countries | 2021/2023

Respondents were asked: Do you have an electric connection to your home from the mains? [If yes:] How often is electricity actually available from this connection?

Figure 4: Reliable electricity supply | by urban-rural location and lived poverty         | 39 countries | 2021/2023

Respondents were asked: Do you have an electric connection to your home from the mains? [If yes:] How often is electricity actually available from this connection? (% of all respondents who say they have electricity that works “most” or “all” of the time) 

For more information, please contact:

Daniel Iberi

Communications officer for East Africa

Email: diberi@afrobarometer.org

Telephone: +254 725 674 457

Visit us online at www.afrobarometer.org.

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