The new Energy Transition Institute FactBook summarizes the status of energy poverty, evaluates the threat that energy poverty presents to society and assesses technologies that could help provide universal access to clean, sustainable, and affordable energy. It also provides insights into regulation and policies designed to support solutions that could reduce or eliminate energy poverty.

1. Energy Poverty
10 Facts
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2. Energy poverty means a lack of
basic needs, profound inequality and
economic stagnation
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
Energy is needed to
provide for human needs,
such as clean air, health,
food and water, education,
and basic human rights.
It is fundamental to the
development of every
economic sector.
• Health
• Water and
food access
• Education and
gender equality
• Environment
• Economics
Electricity
Non-solid fuels
Modern
energy
access
Energy sources Energy services

3. Energy poverty depends on relative
energy costs and the quantity of
accessible energy
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
There is no consensus on the
definition of energy poverty.
But numerous organizations
have developed indices
to characterize the energy
situation of individual countries
and provide a meaningful
comparison between them.
No accessRelativeenergycost
Accessible quantity of energy
Productive
use
Energy poverty Fuel poverty Energy abundance
–
+
Modern needs
Affordability
issues
Basic
human
needs

4. In 2014, 14 percent of the world lacked
access to electricity, and 37 percent
had no access to clean fuels
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Sources: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook Energy Access Outlook 2017; A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
More than 80
percent of the total
population without
access to electricity
and clean fuels
is in rural areas. Electricity
6.440
1.060
Non-solid fuel
4.700
800
14%
37%
87%
13% 16%
84%
Non-solid fuels
Electricity
Population without access
Population with access
Rural
Urban

5. Access to non-solid fuel is a
more acute problem than access
to electricity
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Note: Developing Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea DPR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam, Afghanistan, Laos and Pacific nations. Note: World total includes OECD
and Eastern Europe/Eurasia
Sources: International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook Energy Access Outlook 2017; A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
In the past 15 years, the
number of people without
access to electricity
has been reduced from
1.7 billion to 1.1 billion.
By contrast, the number
of people without access
to clean cooking remained
stagnant at 2.8 billion.
Non-solid fuelsElectricity
More people have access to electricity and clean cooking facilities
Million people
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
2000 Gained
access
Population
growth
2016
-1%
0
1,000
2,000
2000 Gained
access
Population
growth
2016
34%

6. Energy poverty is particularly severe
in some sub-Saharan African and
Asian countries
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
Most of the countries with
average power consumption
of less than 2,000 kWh
per capita are in Africa
and developing Asia and
South America.
Global distribution of power consumption in 2016, kWh per capita
(kWh per capita)
No Data
Less than 500
500-1,000
1,000-2,000
2,000-5,000
Higher than 5,000

7. By 2040, 95 percent of the global
population without access to
electricity will be in sub-Saharan Africa
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Sources: World Bank; International Energy Agency World Economic Outlook Energy Outlook 2017; A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
Current policies should lead to
strong development of access
to electricity in Asian countries
by 2040, but the situation
could worsen in sub-Saharan
Africa, notably because of the
population growth. Population growth
People gaining access
to electricity
Population without
access to electricity
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2016 2040f
+1%
Population without access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa

8. On average, countries would need to
use less than 0.1 percent of their land
for solar PV to reach 1,000 kWh per
person per year.
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
0.6%
0.0%
0.1%
0.2%
0.3%
0.4%
0.5%
Land required

9. Electrification pathways face
the tradeoff between on-grid or
off-grid solutions
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
Grid-scale solutions
generally offer lower energy
costs, higher reliability,
and sustainability of the
solution. But high upfront
investment costs and a long
development time may
favor off-grid solutions.
Decision: mini grid or
stand-alone system
Decision: grid
extension or off grid?
Mini grid
Diesel
Renewable energy technology
Diesel, renewable energy target hybrid
Solar house system
Wind house system
Pico hydro
Stand-alone system
Distance from grid
Size of demand
Dispersion
Type of load
Off grid
High consumer density
High electricity load
Resources availability
Income level
Equipment availability
Low consumer density
Low electricity load

10. An array of stakeholders are
developing an ecosystem to create
access to clean, reliable, and
affordable energy
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
Private and public
sectors are dedicating
more resources to
addressing energy
poverty issues.
End users and
communities
Utilities
Business
development
support
Governments
and regulators
Suppliers
Policy
support
Awareness
raising
Financial
institutions
Private
sector
Development
finance
organizations
Industry
associations and
non-profit actors
Financial
assistance
Technical
assistance

11. Innovative financial solutions are
accelerating the deployment of
decentralized solutions in
low-income markets
Read full reportEnergy Poverty 10 Facts
Source: Source: A.T. Kearney Energy Transition Institute
The lack of affordable products
and appliances, financial
resources, and the shortage
of local skills and expertise
are serious challenges
now being addressed by
innovative finance.
Products
and appliances
Fee for
service
$
%
Pay as
you go
$

12. A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with offices in 40 countries.
Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors to the world’s foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney
is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing
advantage on their most mission-critical issues. For more information, visit www.atkearney.com.
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Energy Poverty 10 Facts