In 2022, Haiti’s electricity consumption was just 88 kWh per person, with around 17 kWh from low-carbon sources and roughly 71 kWh from fossil fuels. That means clean electricity supplied about one-fifth of the total, while fossil fuels supplied about four-fifths. Total consumption was only about 2% of the global average of 3,853 kWh per person—roughly 44 times lower. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, refrigeration, business activity and access to digital services. Expanding clean electricity would help support development while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, which contribute to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Haiti?

Haiti’s latest figures do not show sustained growth toward new electricity consumption records. Consumption in 2022 was 21 kWh per person below the previous peak of 109 kWh in 2012, a decline of about one-fifth. Low-carbon generation was even further below its historical high: just 17 kWh per person, compared with 69 kWh in 1990—down roughly 53 kWh, or about three-quarters. This long-term shortfall is concerning: Haiti needs substantial growth in clean electricity to improve living standards and support future electrification, rather than simply recovering lost ground.

Suggestions

Haiti could prioritize solar installations on homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, alongside larger solar projects, battery storage and stronger electricity networks. Nearby examples offer useful lessons: the US state of Florida generated 33 TWh of solar electricity, while Mexico generated 25 TWh from solar and 22 TWh from wind. Brazil’s 88 TWh of solar and 110 TWh of wind also demonstrate the potential of these clean sources in Latin America. These absolute totals are not targets for Haiti, but examples of technologies and deployment experience it can learn from. Haiti should also consider nuclear electricity as a longer-term option, developing technical expertise and international partnerships to assess an appropriately scaled program. Mexico’s 11 TWh of nuclear generation and the US state of Florida’s 28 TWh illustrate nuclear’s contribution to clean electricity in the wider region.

History

The supplied history of Haiti’s low-carbon electricity is dominated by hydroelectric generation, with repeated gains followed by setbacks. Output increased by about 0.1 TWh in 1972 and again in 1986, 1988 and 1990, while the listed years 1975 and 1983 showed no change. The 1990s brought declines in 1991 and 1997, followed by gains in 1998 and 1999, each around 0.1 TWh. Declines returned in 2000, 2007 and 2011. A brief recovery in 2012 was followed by further losses in 2013 and 2014, before increases in 2017, 2018 and 2022. This uneven history underscores the need to sustain existing clean generation while adding solar and other low-carbon electricity sources to deliver lasting growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade