In 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity consumption depended predominantly on fossil fuels, which supplied about 61% of the total. Coal alone accounted for roughly 41%, while gas provided 14%. Low-carbon sources supplied about 38%, led by hydropower at almost 29% of all electricity. Solar contributed 3%, wind nearly 3%, nuclear about 2%, and geothermal around 1%. Clean electricity therefore already plays an important role, but expanding it substantially would help reduce the climate change and air pollution associated with fossil fuels.

Is Electricity Growing in Sub-Saharan Africa?

The picture of electricity growth is mixed. Total electricity consumption per person reached 418 kWh in 2022, still 32 kWh—or about 7%—below the record of 450 kWh set in 2012. This shortfall is concerning as electrification, economic development, and growing digital infrastructure require more electricity. Low-carbon electricity generation per person, however, reached a new record of 158 kWh, exceeding the previous year’s record by 6 kWh, or roughly 4%. That clean-electricity progress is encouraging, although the figures do not establish whether total regional electricity consumption grew, because they measure consumption per person.

Suggestions

Sub-Saharan Africa should accelerate solar deployment, develop wind in suitable locations, and consider building or expanding nuclear electricity generation alongside stronger grids. Nearby examples offer useful lessons: Somalia generates about 17% of its electricity from solar, while Cape Verde gets roughly 14% each from solar and wind. Morocco’s 20% wind share provides another relevant African benchmark, and Pakistan’s roughly 24% solar share demonstrates the substantial contribution solar can make in a developing economy. For nuclear, Pakistan generates about 13% of its electricity from this clean source, while France’s roughly two-thirds share illustrates its potential to supply electricity at scale. These regions offer models for combining investment, technical expertise, and long-term planning to expand low-carbon electricity.

History

From 2013 to 2022, the reported changes show hydropower driving much of Sub-Saharan Africa’s low-carbon electricity growth. It added about 10 TWh across 2013–2014, despite a subsequent decline of roughly 2 TWh in 2015, and then added nearly 17 TWh across 2017–2019. Growth strengthened further in 2020–2022, when annual hydropower increases totaled almost 22 TWh. Other clean sources also advanced: geothermal added about 2 TWh in 2014, wind added nearly 2 TWh in 2015 and another 3 TWh in 2021, and solar added almost 8 TWh across 2021–2022. Nuclear contributed gains of about 2 TWh in 2013, 3 TWh in 2016, and 2 TWh in 2021. The recent acceleration in solar and sustained hydropower expansion are welcome foundations for much faster clean-electricity growth.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade