In 2022, Haiti’s electricity consumption was just **88 kWh per person**, compared with a global average of **3,794 kWh**—about 43 times higher. Low-carbon electricity generation stood at roughly **17 kWh per person**, equivalent to about one fifth of consumption. The supplied figures do not separately identify fossil-fuel electricity, so its exact share cannot be confirmed. Such limited electricity availability can constrain healthcare, education, refrigeration, business activity, and access to digital services. Expanding clean electricity would help support economic development without increasing the climate change and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Haiti?

Haiti’s electricity consumption is **below its historical peak**, rather than setting new records. The 2022 figure was 21 kWh per person below the 2012 record of 109 kWh—roughly a fifth lower. Low-carbon generation was also far below its 1990 record of 69 kWh per person: the supplied data report a decline of about 53 kWh, or roughly three quarters. These comparisons do not establish the direction of every recent year, but they show a concerning failure to sustain earlier levels of electricity availability, particularly clean electricity.

Suggestions

To increase low-carbon generation, Haiti should prioritize solar installations for homes, businesses, public services, and local electricity networks, supported by storage and stronger distribution infrastructure. Regional examples include **Mexico, with 25 TWh of solar electricity**, and **Brazil, with 88 TWh**; the nearby **US state of Florida generated 32 TWh from solar**. Their experience can inform deployment, financing, and workforce training, although these generation totals alone do not establish which policies Haiti should copy. Wind could complement solar where local assessments identify suitable sites, drawing lessons from Brazil and Mexico. Haiti should also consider nuclear electricity as part of long-term planning and international cooperation: Mexico’s 11 TWh and Brazil’s 14 TWh demonstrate its contribution to clean electricity in the wider region. These examples offer lessons, not immediate generation targets for Haiti.

History

Haiti’s recorded low-carbon electricity history is centered on hydropower, with intermittent gains rather than sustained expansion. Generation increased by about **0.1 TWh in 1972**, followed by similar increases in 1986, 1988, and 1990; several other listed years showed no change at the reported precision. The 1990s brought fluctuations, with decreases in 1991 and 1997 followed by increases in 1998 and 1999. Further decreases appeared in 2000, 2007, and 2011; a gain in 2012 was followed by decreases in 2013 and 2014. Increases of about 0.1 TWh returned in 2017, 2018, and 2022. These later gains are welcome, but Haiti needs a more sustained expansion of clean electricity to raise electricity availability above past peaks.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade