Global electricity access reached 92 per cent in 2023, up from 84 per cent in 2010, with the number of people without electricity dropping to 666.4 million ‒ 18.8 million fewer than in 2022. Between 2010 and 2023, 45 countries achieved universal electricity access. However, regional disparities persist. Central and Southern Asia reduced its unconnected population from 414 million in 2010 to 27 million in 2023. By contrast, sub-Saharan Africa saw little progress, with its unconnected population barely changing from 566 million to 565 million—despite coverage rising from 33 to 53 per cent— accounting for 85 per cent of the global electricity deficit. In addition, globally, 84 per cent of people without electricity in 2023 lived in rural communities.

Achieving universal access by 2030 requires accelerating electrification to 1.2 per cent annually. Unfortunately, current trends indicate that in 2030, 645 million people will remain without power. Addressing this challenge will require fresh thinking, renewed political commitment and additional funding to scale up the adoption of distributed renewable-energy technologies and business models. Off-grid solar solutions present the most cost-effective pathway ‒ potentially bringing electricity to 389 million people.

Access to clean cooking fuels and technologies reached 74 per cent globally in 2023, up from 64 per cent in 2015. Yet, approximately 2.1 billion people still rely on polluting fuels for cooking. Regional progress varies dramatically. Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, along with Central and Southern Asia, have made substantial gains in expanding clean cooking access. However, sub-Saharan Africa continues to face critical challenges, with only 21 per cent of the population having access to clean cooking.

The burden falls heaviest on poorer households, particularly affecting women and girls, who spend extensive time gathering fuel and cooking on inefficient stoves. This compromises their health, limits educational opportunities and reduces economic prospects. Current progress indicates that only 78 per cent of the global population will have access to clean cooking solutions by 2030, leaving approximately 1.8 billion people without access. Achieving universal access requires urgent action and accelerated efforts.

The share of renewable energy in the world’s total final energy consumption increased from 15.6 per cent in 2015 to 17.9 per cent in 2022, with modern renewables (excluding traditional biomass) increasing from 10 to 13 per cent. The electricity sector leads the growth, with renewables comprising 30 per cent of its 2022 global electricity consumption. Hydropower remained the predominant renewable electricity source, while wind and solar demonstrated the largest absolute growth ‒ tripling their combined consumption in 2022 compared to 2015. Renewable sources accounted for around 21 per cent of global energy use for heat, with almost half from traditional biomass. In the transport sector, only 4 per cent of consumption was from renewables, of which nearly 90 per cent came from biofuels.

Raising renewable-energy deployment targets, implementing stronger policy actions across all end-use sectors and expanding support to developing countries will be pivotal in advancing towards Goal 7 and meeting climate objectives.

International financial support of clean and renewable energy to developing countries reached $21.6 billion in 2023, an increase of 27 per cent from 2022. Solar energy led the growth, with funding rising 84 per cent to $9.4 billion, accounting for 44 per cent of total financial flows. Wind and hydropower also grew by 41 per cent (reaching $2.4 billion) and 61 per cent ($2.3 billion), respectively. However, despite this third consecutive year of growth, 2023 flows amounted to only about three quarters of the 2016 peak of $28.4 billion. In addition, in 2023, 80 per cent of commitments were distributed among 29 countries, compared to the 25 in 2022. Overall financial support lags far behind the actual needs of developing countries, particularly among LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. To enable global progress towards Goal 7, it will be crucial to accelerate this growth trajectory while ensuring a more equitable distribution of funds.