Why Access to Electricity Matters for Education, Health and Growth

Access to energy improves when each region’s renewable resources are put to use.

In education, electricity makes an enormous difference: with it, children can spend more time studying and less time doing household chores. They can also study at night and have access to sources of information such as the internet, television and radio.Likewise, electricity used for outdoor lighting can make streets safer, reduce car accidents at night and boost commerce. With artificial light, businesses could sell their products and services after dark.On the other hand, the lack of access to electricity forces millions of people to spend hours collecting firewood or animal dung to fuel their stoves, not to mention the time they spend fetching and carrying water, which sometimes means walking long distances.Not having electricity can also kill: an estimated 2.9 million deaths in 2021 were linked to indoor air pollution in homes that use stoves burning biomass, wood or coal, more than the deaths caused by AIDS and malaria combined.Sub-Saharan Africa faces the worst situation: in 2024, about 45% of its population still had no access to electricity (World Bank).