Despite energy security and affordability being at the top of the development agenda, 655 million people around the world still lack access to electricity and 2 billion people use polluting fuels and cooking techniques, putting their health and well-being at risk. These disparities are disproportionately high in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 560 million people live without electricity and 970 million lack access to clean cooking.
The latest edition, Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report, includes new data for 2023 and 2024 and shows that while most regions are moving closer to universal access, sub-Saharan Africa’s progress has slowed significantly and the pace of electrification will need to triple to reach universal access by 2030. Despite these challenges, the report highlights encouraging progress in several areas of sustainable energy. Renewable energy continues to expand strongly, accounting for more than 30% of global electricity consumption. Meanwhile, renewable energy generation capacity reached a world record of 544 watts per person (enough to power a refrigerator). International public funding flows supporting clean energy in developing countries increased slightly to US$24.6 billion. Additionally, global energy efficiency improvements continued to reach 3.76 megajoules per US dollar, which is still insufficient to meet the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7.
However, the report warns that without urgent and large-scale action, the world will fall short of achieving SDG 7, which is to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030. Additionally, while the current global energy crisis is still ongoing, the impact on energy markets and the broader economy is expected to be significant.
In this context, accelerating the uptake of domestic renewable energy is increasingly seen as essential not only to strengthen energy security and affordability, but also to advance long-term climate and development goals. Distributed renewable energy solutions such as off-grid solar power and mini-grids are cost-effective solutions for electricity access and already power hundreds of millions of people. Electric cooking, bioethanol and biogas are also gaining traction as scalable renewable energy cooking solutions, contributing to further diversification of clean cooking pathways.
Affordability is a major barrier to expanding electricity access. Even when infrastructure is available, many households cannot afford connection fees, wiring costs, and basic energy services. As countries work to reach the remaining unelectrified populations, targeted subsidies, innovative financing mechanisms, and least-cost electrification solutions will be essential to ensure no one is left behind.
Financial constraints are holding back progress, with levels in the poorest countries either falling short of meeting SDG 7 targets or declining completely. International financial flows in clean energy assistance to least developed countries have declined significantly, to $3.7 billion in 2024, an 11% decrease from 2023.
Stronger political leadership, improved cross-sectoral collaboration, and a strategic focus on countries and communities most at risk of being left behind remain cross-cutting priorities for 2030. Clear policy signals and sustained implementation are fundamental to diversifying a country’s energy mix, increasing renewable energy, reducing dependence on fossil fuel imports, and strengthening macroeconomic resilience to global supply chain disruptions.
Key findings across key metrics:
- access to electricity. Despite gains, progress remains too slow. In 2024, global access rates stagnated at 92%, with annual growth rates halved compared to the previous decade. Sub-Saharan Africa and rural populations are increasingly being left behind, with the rural deficit in sub-Saharan Africa increasing from 376 million people in 2010 to 447 million people in 2024. To achieve universal access by 2030, the pace of progress will need to triple to 1.3% per year.
- Access to clean fuels and cooking technologies. This remains the largest energy gap, affecting around 2 billion people, around a quarter of the world’s population. Progress has been uneven, with stark disparities between urban and rural areas. 89 percent of the urban population has access to clean cooking, compared to only 56 percent of people living in rural areas. Without stronger action, 1.8 billion people could still rely on polluting fuels such as charcoal, wood, kerosene and coal by 2030. Sub-Saharan Africa once again accounts for a disproportionate share, with the number of people without access expected to reach 1 billion by 2027. This poses serious health risks, and household air pollution is responsible for approximately 3 million deaths each year.
- renewable energy. Currently, renewable energy supplies more than 30 percent of electricity, but the share of renewable energy in heat and transport remains limited. Despite record growth, gaps in renewable energy generation capacity still exist. Low-income countries had just 33.6 watts of renewable energy generation capacity per person, compared to 1,224 watts per person in high-income countries.
- energy efficiency. Progress is below the pace needed to meet the global goals, with progress falling from 2.4% in 2022 to 1.5% in 2023. Recent improvements in energy intensity remain well below the levels needed for alignment with SDG 7, highlighting the widening gap between ambition and implementation. Increasing efficiency measures across the sector is essential not only to reduce energy demand, but also to reduce costs and emissions.
- Flow of international public funds to developing countries supporting clean energy. The latest data reveals that growth is limited and insufficient compared to needs, with flows increasing slightly from USD 24.4 billion in 2023 to USD 24.6 billion in 2024. Despite high debt costs creating an economic burden across developing countries, debt-based financing remains the dominant form of international public clean energy financing, accounting for approximately 80 percent of total flows in 2024. Subsidies accounted for 13 percent; Equity financing and risk guarantees remained relatively modest at 2% and 5%, respectively.
The report will be presented to decision-makers at a special launch event on 8 July 2026, following a detailed consideration of SDG 7 at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York, which oversees progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Fatih Birol, Director General of the International Energy Agency
“Modern energy access starts with two fundamentals: clean cooking and electricity. Since 2010, 1.5 billion people have gained access to clean cooking and 800 million people have gained access to electricity. This shows that progress is possible with the right policies. SDG 7 is an energy goal, but its benefits extend far beyond the energy sector to improve health, expand economic opportunity, and strengthen the energy sector.”
Francesco La Camera, Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency
“Recent global energy shocks have made it clear that countries with high renewable energy production capacity are better positioned to withstand economic and supply disruptions. SDGs Accelerating the deployment of cost-competitive domestic renewable energy must now be central to strengthening both energy security and economic resilience, while pursuing 7. To achieve this, the international community must prioritize affordable and tailored financial support, particularly to the least developed countries that face the greatest barriers to access.”
Junhua Lee, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
“We have made encouraging progress in expanding access to affordable, reliable and clean energy in recent years. However, this year’s report shows that millions of people still lack access, makes clear that progress has not kept pace with Sustainable Development Goal 7, and that disparities between countries remain wide. The current global energy crisis presents an opportunity to accelerate the transition to clean energy to support energy security. Seizing this opportunity requires a significant increase in international support and investment. We cannot afford to be complacent. Now is the time to act with more urgency and ambition.
Valery Levkov, Vice President for Infrastructure, World Bank Group
“Energy security and affordability have become global priorities and will remain a defining challenge for years to come. Electricity demand is growing rapidly, but millions of people still live without access to electricity, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing the greatest burden and missing out on opportunities for economic growth, jobs and development. We have proven technology, effective financing models and strong partnerships to accelerate solutions, but limited public budgets mean we also need to mobilize more private sector investment. Together, we can deliver reliable, affordable energy to those who need it most.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization
“Universal access to clean, sustainable energy is not just an energy challenge, it is a fundamental health imperative. Domestic air pollution from cooking fuels kills millions, causes long-term illness and disability, and harms the environment. Amid an unprecedented crisis in energy security, the transition to clean cooking is essential for promoting health, gender equality, mitigating climate change, and reducing energy burdens on households and governments. ”
About the report
The report is published by the SDG 7 governing bodies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.
This year it was chaired by the United Nations DESA.
The report can be downloaded from https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/.
Funding for this report was provided by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).
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world health organization
