Accra, Ghana — Efforts to provide “reliable energy for all” are making little progress in Africa, a new Afrobarometer analysis shows.
Expansion of the electric grid appears to have stalled in most surveyed countries, and only about four in 10 African households enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, a marginal improvement from survey findings three years previously.
Findings from national surveys in 34 African countries are detailed in Afrobarometer’s new Pan-Africa Profile on electricity, released today. The analysis shows that stark differences in access and reliable supply remain between countries, and rural residents and the poor are still at a great disadvantage when it comes to lights and power. This may explain why fewer than half of Africans think their government is doing a good job when it comes to providing a reliable supply of electricity.
Key findings:
– Access: Two-thirds (65%) of Africans live in areas served by an electric grid, with no evidence of significant gains since 2011/2013 (Round 5). While about nine out of 10 households in North and Central Africa have access to a grid, fewer than one-third of citizens do in Burkina Faso (28%), Madagascar (29%), Mali (30%), Guinea (32%), and Liberia (33%). Rural respondents are less than half as likely (44%) as urbanites (92%) to live within reach of a power grid.
– Connection: Fewer than six in 10 households (58%) are actually connected to an electric grid. Morocco, Tunisia, and Mauritius boast nearly universal coverage, but more than three out of four Burkinabè, Ugandans, Liberians, and Malagasy are still without an electricity connection.
– Reliability: Fewer than half (43%) of Africans enjoy a reliable supply of electricity, a marginal improvement since the previous survey round. While electricity that works most or all of the time is the norm in Mauritius (98%) and Morocco (91%), it’s a luxury in Malawi (5%) and Guinea (7%). Ghana more than doubled its share of citizens reporting reliable power, from 37% in 2014 to 79%.
