ISLAMABAD: More than 10.8 million Pakistanis were still living without access to electricity in 2024, placing Pakistan among the world’s 20 largest electricity-deficit countries, while globally 655 million people remained without power despite decades of progress in electrification, according to a joint international report released on Wednesday.
According to the latest Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2026, released by the World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO), International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the United Nations, warns that the world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7, which calls for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy by 2030.
The report states that global electricity access has stagnated at 92 per cent, and the pace of electrification must more than triple if universal access is to be achieved within the next five years.
Pakistan was identified as one of only two countries outside Sub-Saharan Africa among the 20 nations with the largest electricity-access deficits. The report estimates that 10.8 million Pakistanis remained without electricity in 2024, slightly more than Myanmar’s 10.7 million. Nigeria topped the list, with 87.2 million people lacking electricity, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo with 84.7 million and Ethiopia with 57.3 million.
Although Pakistan and the broader Central and Southern Asian region have made substantial gains in electrification over the past decade, the report notes that access alone does not guarantee reliable and affordable energy services. Millions continue to face challenges that limit the full economic and social benefits of electricity. Central and Southern Asia has dramatically reduced its share of the global electricity deficit, from 36 per cent in 2010 to just three per cent in 2024, largely through rapid grid expansion, rural electrification and rising incomes. However, affordability
and service quality remain significant concerns across the region.
According to the report, affordability has emerged as one of the biggest barriers to universal electricity access. Even where electricity infrastructure exists, many households cannot afford connection charges, internal wiring costs or monthly electricity bills. Globally, only 22 per cent of households without electricity earn enough to meet the monthly cost of basic electricity services. The report stresses that electricity is essential not only for lighting homes but also for education, healthcare, communication, employment and economic productivity. Reliable power enables schools and health facilities to function effectively, improves access to information, and creates opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs.
It also highlights the growing role of distributed renewable energy systems, including off-grid solar solutions and mini-grids, in extending electricity access to remote and underserved communities. Such technologies can help governments reach difficult-to-access populations more quickly and at lower cost while improving energy security and reducing dependence on imported fuels.
Globally, the burden of energy poverty remains heavily concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounted for 563 million of the world’s 655 million people without electricity in 2024. While most regions are approaching universal access, progress in many African countries has slowed because of rapid population growth, financing gaps and infrastructure constraints. The energy challenge extends beyond electricity. The report estimates that around two billion people worldwide still rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, exposing them to dangerous indoor air pollution and serious health risks. Household air pollution linked to dirty cooking fuels is responsible for around three million deaths annually.
Despite encouraging growth in renewable energy, clean energy investment and international financial support, progress remains insufficient. International public financial flows supporting clean energy in developing countries increased only marginally to US$24.6 billion in 2024, while support for the least-developed countries declined. The report projects that, unless governments, development partners and the private sector significantly accelerate investment, improve affordability and expand access to vulnerable populations, around 645 million people could still be living without electricity by 2030, leaving the world short of its universal energy-access target.
The report’s authors call for stronger political commitment and greater investment are needed to ensure that the benefits of the global energy transition reach the millions of people who remain without access to electricity and modern energy services.
