Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 is out
Energy access improving, but international financial support still needed to boost progress and address disparities
Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025 finds that almost 92% of the world’s population now has basic access to electricity. Despite an improvement since 2022, which saw the number of people without basic access decrease for the first time in a decade, over 666 million people remain without access. This indicates that the current rate is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030. Clean cooking access is advancing but below the rates of progress seen in the 2010s, as efforts remain hobbled by setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic, following energy price shocks and debt crises.
The latest edition of the annual report, which tracks progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, highlights the role of distributed renewable energy such as mini-grids and off-grid solar systems to accelerate access for people living in remote and fragile areas.
Decentralised solutions are also needed to increase access to clean cooking. Over 2 billion people worldwide remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs. With an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lacking access, the use of clean technologies can provide solutions that reduce health impacts caused by household air pollution.
The report finds that notable progress was made on different indicators. International financial flows to developing economies in support of clean energy grew for the third year in a row to reach USD 21.6 billion in 2023. Installed renewables capacity per capita continued to increase year-on-year to reach a new high of 341 watts per capita in developing countries, up from 155 watts in 2015.
Yet regional disparities persist, indicating that targeted support is needed in some regions. In sub-Saharan Africa – which lags on most indicators – renewables are expanding rapidly but remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita on average. Eighty-five percent of the global population without electricity access reside in the region, while four in five families are without access to clean cooking.
