In 2023, Congo–Kinshasa consumed about 17.3 TWh of electricity, including 15.9 TWh of domestic low-carbon generation and 1.4 TWh of net imports. Hydropower supplied about 13.7 TWh and solar another 2.2 TWh, making clean electricity the backbone of domestic generation; no fossil electricity generation is listed in the supplied data. Imports accounted for roughly 8% of consumption, but their generation mix is unspecified. Electricity consumption was just 164 kWh per person—around 4% of the global average of 3,794 kWh, or about one twenty-third as much. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, industrial development and reliable household services.

Is Electricity Growing in Congo - Kinshasa?

Electricity consumption per person has essentially stagnated relative to its historical peak. The 2023 figure of 164 kWh per person was slightly below the previous record of 165 kWh reached in 1980. Low-carbon generation per person was also below its historical high: 150 kWh in 2023 compared with 163 kWh in 1989, a shortfall of about 8%. These comparisons do not mean total generation has stopped growing, but they show that recent expansion has not delivered record electricity availability per person. That is concerning: substantially faster clean electricity growth is needed to support wider access, electrification and future economic demand.

Suggestions

Congo–Kinshasa can build on its established solar generation by expanding both grid-connected solar plants and local solar systems, alongside stronger transmission, distribution and storage. South Africa offers a relevant regional reference, generating about 20 TWh from solar, while India’s roughly 205 TWh demonstrates the scale solar can reach in a large developing economy. Nuclear should also be considered as a longer-term source of dependable low-carbon electricity: South Africa generates about 12 TWh from nuclear, while Pakistan generates about 22 TWh. Their experience offers useful lessons for developing technical skills, institutions and project delivery. Combining expanded solar with hydropower and prospective nuclear generation would support a much larger clean electricity supply without increasing reliance on fossil fuels and their associated air pollution and climate impacts.

History

The supplied historical changes show that hydropower drove Congo–Kinshasa’s clean electricity growth for decades, although progress was uneven. Selected increases in the late 1980s totalled about 1 TWh, while the 1990s brought alternating gains and setbacks, including a 1.1 TWh drop in 1997. Growth resumed around the turn of the century, with increases of 0.7 TWh in 2000 and 0.9 TWh in 2004. Expansion became stronger in the 2010s, particularly in 2018 and 2019, when hydro generation rose by about 1.1 and 1.2 TWh respectively. Further hydro gains followed in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Solar then added an important new source of growth, increasing by about 1 TWh in each of 2021 and 2022—a promising foundation for accelerating clean electricity expansion.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade