Why the Path to Universal Electricity Access Has Stalled?

Access to electricity is one of the most powerful enablers of development. It supports education, strengthens healthcare, drives entrepreneurship, and expands social mobility. Yet despite decades of progress, the International Energy Agency’s SDG7 Report 2025 shows that universal access is still out of reach. Approximately 685 million people remain without electricity, the majority in Sub-Saharan Africa, with rural communities bearing the greatest burden.

A SLOWING PACE OF ELECTRIFICATION

Electrification advanced rapidly during the 2000s and 2010s, but progress has slowed since 2019. The combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, and reduced infrastructure investment reversed earlier momentum. In Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 600 million people are still without electricity, representing close to 80% of the global total. Rural areas face the sharpest gaps, with access rates averaging around 30%, while urban areas reach more than 85%, according to the World Bank estimates.

REGIONAL PROGRESS AND PERSISTENT GAPS

Some regions have moved more quickly than others. South Asia achieved remarkable progress, with India reaching near-universal access by 2022 after connecting more than 500 million people over two decades. Africa, by contrast, continues to lag due to fragile grids, financing shortfalls, and governance challenges. Southeast Asia has advanced more steadily, but rural areas remain underserved. In Myanmar, for example, more than 25% of the population lacked access in 2022. Thailand tells a different story. The country achieved near-universal access in the 1990s through large-scale rural electrification programs that connected over 99% of households. Today, its challenge lies not in access but in ensuring reliability, affordability, and sustainability. Thailand’s experience demonstrates the importance of strong policy frameworks and consistent investment—lessons that remain critical for other countries still working to close access gaps.

OFF-GRID AND MINI-GRID SOLUTIONS

Reaching the remaining 685 million people will require more than traditional grid expansion. Off-grid and mini-grid systems are becoming essential, particularly in rural regions where extending national transmission lines is too costly or technically impractical. These decentralized systems also carry a critical environmental advantage: they enable communities to leapfrog fossil fuel dependency by adopting clean, renewable technologies from the start.

In Africa, solar home systems have already transformed access. Kenya alone has more than 4 million households using solar kits for lighting, charging, and refrigeration. Mini-grids powered by solar or hybrid systems are proving effective for small towns where extending the national grid would be prohibitively expensive. Southeast Asia is also advancing with similar solutions. Indonesia has piloted more than 600 village-scale mini-grids, while Cambodia has expanded private-sector investment in solar home systems. Thailand has experimented with community-based renewable projects, particularly in island provinces where national grid connections are limited. To scale these solutions, stronger financing mechanisms and enabling policies will be critical.

THE INVESTMENT GAP

Achieving universal access by 2030 will require significant new investment. The IEA estimates that annual global spending—currently around USD 30–35 billion—must triple to close the gap. Much of this capital must be directed to Sub-Saharan Africa, where the access gap is widest and financing remains most constrained. Mobilizing private investment, expanding concessional finance, and building robust public-private partnerships will be central to progress. For Southeast Asia, the investment challenge lies in balancing access with decarbonization. Growing demand must be met without locking in fossil fuel dependency. Thailand illustrates this urgency. Electricity consumption has grown by nearly 40% in the past two decades, and peak demand continues to climb. Expanding renewable capacity, supported by distributed generation such as rooftop solar, will be vital to ensuring that future access is sustainable.

The SDG7 Report 2025 concludes that universal access to electricity is still achievable, but only if efforts accelerate. Expanding grids must be complemented by off-grid innovation, and investment must increase significantly. Policies must focus on reaching the most vulnerable communities, particularly in rural areas where the gaps remain largest. For Thailand, the priority is not access but the reliability and sustainability of electricity systems, alongside regional leadership in sharing its experience. For Africa, Asia, and beyond, the message is consistent: powering progress requires more than building wires and poles. It requires governance, financing, and innovation aligned with the urgency of delivering electricity for all.

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