In general, access to electricity and clean fuel varies according to a country’s average economic wealth. In low-income countries, the percentage of the population with access to electricity ranges from 10 to 40 percent, compared with 40 to 80 percent in lower middle-income countries. Only 5 to 30 percent of people in low-income countries have access to clean fuels, compared with 30 to 50 percent in lower middle-income countries.

Given existing policies and investments ($334 billion), the International Energy Agency expects a global reduction in the number of people who lack access to electricity from 1.1 billion in 2016 to 0.7 billion in 2030. Between 2030 and 2040, the reduction will weaken unless further measures are taken. The outlook for access to non-solid fuels is even worse. The global population lacking access to modern fuel is only expected to fall by 7 percent between 2016 (2.8 billion people) and 2030 (2.6 billion people). Investments would need to quadruple globally to provide universal access to clean fuel, with about 30 percent of spending allocated to Africa.

Wind, hydro, and solar can supply more than enough power to achieve universal access to electricity

Global access to electricity has accelerated over the past two decades, with growing reliance on coal and hydropower. A wide range of electrification options can help eradicate energy poverty, from small devices deployed locally to utility-scale solutions. All renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind, and solar photovoltaics (PV), offer scalable applications in a range of locations and with a variety of grid connections and power-output capacities.

Harnessing the potential of local renewable resources could end energy poverty in underdeveloped countries. Solar PV and wind have the potential to raise average power consumption per capita to at least 1,000 kWh per year in poor regions, solving global energy poverty with no contributions from other energy sources (see figure 5). Small hydropower plants offer another sustainable way of enhancing electrification, especially in rural areas.