A total of 655 million people — roughly 8 per cent of the global population — still live without electricity, with the overwhelming majority concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the latest edition of the Tracking Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: The Energy Progress Report, released on 25 June. The findings underscore a widening gap between global energy ambitions and ground-level reality.

Scale of the Energy Deficit

The report reveals that Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionate share of the global energy shortfall, with over 560 million people living without electricity and 970 million lacking access to clean cooking solutions. Separately, 1.8 billion people worldwide continue to rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking, placing their health and well-being at serious risk. According to the report, the pace of electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa must triple to achieve universal access by 2030.

Renewable Energy's Encouraging Rise

Despite these stark gaps, the report highlighted meaningful progress on the clean energy front. Renewable energy now accounts for over 30 per cent of global electricity consumption, continuing its strong expansion trajectory. This represents one of the few areas where SDG 7 progress is broadly on track, offering a blueprint for accelerating the overall transition.

What the UN Said

Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, acknowledged the mixed picture. 'We have seen encouraging progress in expanding access to affordable, reliable and clean energy in recent years,' he said. 'However, this year's report shows that millions of people still lack access, making clear that progress is not keeping pace with the ambition of Sustainable Development Goal 7, and that disparities across countries remain significant.'

Li also pointed to the ongoing global energy crisis as a potential inflection point rather than a setback. 'Seizing this opportunity will require substantial scaling-up of international support and investment. We cannot afford complacency. The time to act with greater urgency and ambition is now,' he said.

Barriers and Policy Gaps

The report identified several structural obstacles to meeting the 2030 deadline. It called for stronger political leadership, improved cross-sector coordination, and a sharper focus on communities most at risk of being left behind. Clear policy signals and sustained implementation, the report stressed, are essential to diversifying national energy mixes, expanding renewables, reducing fossil fuel import dependence, and building macroeconomic resilience against global supply chain disruptions.

Notably, this warning comes as the global energy crisis continues to reshape markets and strain economies — a context that the report says could either accelerate or derail the clean energy transition, depending on how governments respond.

What Happens Next

With 2030 less than six years away, the report's authors are pressing for an immediate scale-up of international financing and political commitment. Without urgent action, the world risks locking hundreds of millions of people — predominantly in Africa — into energy poverty for another generation, with cascading consequences for health, education, and economic development.