Universal Access to Electricity Gains Traction, But Challenges Remain
Global electricity access is expanding at a record pace, yet the number of people still living without power globally has barely budged. New analysis tracking progress toward universal electricity access found that roughly 89 million people got new access to power in 2024, though the total global shortfall edged down by just 11.5 million, the smallest yearly improvement on record going back to 2010, aside from a brief bump in 2022. As of 2024, some 655 million people still lack access to electricity. African energy data illustrates why the numbers move so slowly. The continent has brought power to 453…