Tracking SDG7 Report Finds Energy Access
Has Improved, But Financial Support Still Needed
to Boost Progress and Address Disparities

Almost 92% of the world’s population now has basic access to electricity, according to the latest data released in Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report 2025, at a virtual briefing on 25 June. While this is an improvement, 666.4 million people remain without access, with current progress insufficient to reach the target of universal access by 2030. Calling for urgent action to meet basic energy needs, the report also stresses that continued progress on renewable energy and energy efficiency are key to achieve both sustainable development and climate goals. The report is prepared annually by the five indicator custodian agencies that monitor data on Sustainable Development Goal 7 -- IEA, IRENA, UN Statistics Division, World Bank and WHO.

The report urges scaled-up investments in support of SDG7 in developing countries, including targeted finance to boost distributed renewable energy (mini-grid and off-grid solar systems), which is cost-effective, rapidly scalable and able to reach communities in the remote rural areas where most people lacking electricity live. Off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that power electric cooking, can also provide cooking solutions for the estimated 1.5 billion people in rural areas still cooking with wood, charcoal and other polluting fuels that have serious health impacts.

International financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy grew for a 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.

Full Report