Countries With the Fastest Growth in Access to electricity (rural) (5-Year Change)
Change in Access to electricity (rural) over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Gabon rose the most: by 28.5 pts, from 22.8% of rural population to 51.3% of rural population in the five years to 2024. Benin is second (+28.1 pts), followed by Rwanda (+26.9 pts). 83 countries rose over that period; the median change among them was +5.9 pts.
- #1
- Gabon · +28.5 pts
- Median
- +5.9 pts
- Coverage
- 83 countries
- Data year
- 2024
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | From | To | 5-year change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabon | 22.8 | 51.3 | +28.5 pts |
| 2 | Benin | 16.9 | 45 | +28.1 pts |
| 3 | Rwanda | 38.3 | 65.2 | +26.9 pts |
| 4 | Sierra Leone | 1.5 | 24.9 | +23.4 pts |
| 5 | Papua New Guinea | 17.1 | 39 | +21.9 pts |
| 6 | Yemen, Rep. | 60.7 | 81.3 | +20.6 pts |
| 7 | Senegal | 47.8 | 67.1 | +19.3 pts |
| 8 | Cameroon | 23.6 | 42.7 | +19.1 pts |
| 9 | Cambodia | 80 | 98.6 | +18.6 pts |
| 10 | Zimbabwe | 28.3 | 46.6 | +18.3 pts |
| 11 | Botswana | 27.9 | 45.9 | +18 pts |
| 12 | Zambia | 14.2 | 31.3 | +17.1 pts |
| 13 | Myanmar | 57.5 | 73.9 | +16.4 pts |
| 14 | Mali | 15.2 | 31.4 | +16.2 pts |
| 15 | Eswatini | 72.9 | 88.3 | +15.4 pts |
| 16 | Tanzania | 19 | 33.7 | +14.7 pts |
| 17 | Haiti | 1.2 | 15 | +13.8 pts |
| 18 | Djibouti | 40.3 | 53.9 | +13.6 pts |
| 19 | Madagascar | 13 | 26.5 | +13.5 pts |
| 20 | Solomon Islands | 67.6 | 81.1 | +13.5 pts |
| 21 | Uganda | 31.8 | 44.8 | +13 pts |
| 22 | Ghana | 70 | 82.6 | +12.6 pts |
| 23 | Guinea | 17 | 29.4 | +12.4 pts |
| 24 | Belize | 87.8 | 99.5 | +11.7 pts |
| 25 | Eritrea | 32.5 | 43.2 | +10.7 pts |
| 26 | Bangladesh | 88.9 | 99.6 | +10.7 pts |
| 27 | Comoros | 77.6 | 88.2 | +10.6 pts |
| 28 | Guinea-Bissau | 14.3 | 24.9 | +10.6 pts |
| 29 | Cabo Verde | 87.3 | 97.7 | +10.4 pts |
| 30 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 75.6 | 86 | +10.4 pts |
| 31 | Togo | 23.9 | 33.9 | +10 pts |
| 32 | Namibia | 31.2 | 41.1 | +9.9 pts |
| 33 | Sudan | 44.4 | 54.2 | +9.8 pts |
| 34 | Honduras | 80.3 | 90.1 | +9.8 pts |
| 35 | Ethiopia | 36 | 44.8 | +8.8 pts |
| 36 | Lesotho | 32.6 | 41.4 | +8.8 pts |
| 37 | Congo, Rep. | 11.4 | 19.4 | +8 pts |
| 38 | Mozambique | 5.2 | 12.3 | +7.1 pts |
| 39 | Nicaragua | 65.2 | 72.2 | +7 pts |
| 40 | São Tomé and Principe | 68.2 | 75.1 | +6.9 pts |
| 41 | India | 93.8 | 99.9 | +6.1 pts |
| 42 | South Africa | 80.4 | 86.3 | +5.9 pts |
| 43 | Côte d'Ivoire | 42.1 | 47.7 | +5.6 pts |
| 44 | Timor-Leste | 86.5 | 92.1 | +5.6 pts |
| 45 | Kenya | 61.7 | 67.1 | +5.4 pts |
| 46 | Vanuatu | 54.3 | 58.5 | +4.2 pts |
| 47 | Bolivia | 84.9 | 88.7 | +3.8 pts |
| 48 | Pakistan | 90.7 | 94 | +3.3 pts |
| 49 | El Salvador | 93.6 | 96.6 | +3 pts |
| 50 | Equatorial Guinea | 2.4 | 5.1 | +2.7 pts |
| 51 | Dominican Republic | 96.3 | 98.7 | +2.4 pts |
| 52 | Malawi | 4.1 | 6.4 | +2.3 pts |
| 53 | Indonesia | 97.5 | 99.7 | +2.2 pts |
| 54 | Tonga | 97.9 | 100 | +2.1 pts |
| 55 | Suriname | 95.4 | 97.1 | +1.7 pts |
| 56 | Burundi | 2 | 3.6 | +1.6 pts |
| 57 | Bulgaria | 98.4 | 100 | +1.6 pts |
| 58 | Mongolia | 96.9 | 98.4 | +1.5 pts |
| 59 | Algeria | 98.7 | 100 | +1.3 pts |
| 60 | Kiribati | 93 | 94.3 | +1.3 pts |
| 61 | Venezuela, RB | 98.7 | 100 | +1.3 pts |
| 62 | Niger | 9.7 | 10.8 | +1.1 pts |
| 63 | Jordan | 98.9 | 100 | +1.1 pts |
| 64 | Morocco | 98.9 | 100 | +1.1 pts |
| 65 | Samoa | 99 | 100 | +1 pts |
| 66 | Mexico | 98.3 | 99.2 | +0.9 pts |
| 67 | Viet Nam | 99.1 | 100 | +0.9 pts |
| 68 | Liberia | 8.3 | 9.2 | +0.9 pts |
| 69 | Brazil | 98.5 | 99.2 | +0.7 pts |
| 70 | Guyana | 89.8 | 90.5 | +0.7 pts |
| 71 | Central African Republic | 1.5 | 2 | +0.5 pts |
| 72 | Costa Rica | 98.9 | 99.4 | +0.5 pts |
| 73 | Cuba | 99.5 | 100 | +0.5 pts |
| 74 | Tuvalu | 99.5 | 100 | +0.5 pts |
| 75 | Lebanon | 99.6 | 100 | +0.4 pts |
| 76 | Tajikistan | 99.6 | 99.9 | +0.3 pts |
| 77 | Sri Lanka | 99.7 | 100 | +0.3 pts |
| 78 | Serbia | 99.7 | 100 | +0.3 pts |
| 79 | Paraguay | 99.4 | 99.6 | +0.2 pts |
| 80 | Kyrgyz Republic | 99.9 | 100 | +0.1 pts |
| 81 | Montenegro | 99.9 | 100 | +0.1 pts |
| 82 | Thailand | 99.9 | 100 | +0.1 pts |
| 83 | Turkmenistan | 99.9 | 100 | +0.1 pts |
About the top 10
#1 Gabon
Gabon ranks #1 on this list with +28.5 pts.
- Capital
- Libreville
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 2.59 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.43 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,263 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 92.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in forest area share · #4 in renewable energy share · #6 in unemployment rate.
#2 Benin
Benin ranks #2 on this list with +28.1 pts.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 14.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$24.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,658 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 53.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #8 in maternal mortality ratio · #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index.
#3 Rwanda
Rwanda ranks #3 on this list with +26.9 pts.
- Capital
- Kigali
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 14.57 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$16.37 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 30.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kigali.
Also ranks #1 in women in parliament share · #2 in school enrolment (primary) · #2 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary).
#4 Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone ranks #4 on this list with +23.4 pts.
- Capital
- Freetown
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 8.82 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$7.46 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$846.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 45.9% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in school enrolment (primary) · #7 in under-5 mortality rate · #8 in forest rents share of gdp.
#5 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea ranks #5 on this list with +21.9 pts.
- Capital
- Port Moresby
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 10.76 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,020 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 15.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in rural population share · #5 in water resources per capita · #6 in smoking prevalence.
#6 Yemen, Rep.
Yemen, Rep. ranks #6 on this list with +20.6 pts.
- Capital
- Sanaa, Aden
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 41.77 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 37% of population (2025)
- International tourist arrivals
- 398,000 arrivals (2015)
- CO2 emissions per person
- 0.261 t CO2e per person (2024)
Also ranks #2 in prevalence of stunting (under-5) · #2 in prevalence of wasting (under-5) · #12 in unemployment rate.
#7 Senegal
Senegal ranks #7 on this list with +19.3 pts.
- Capital
- Dakar
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 18.93 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$37.01 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,955 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dakar.
Also ranks #1 in gender parity index (school enrolment) · #3 in crop production index · #8 in debt service share of exports.
#8 Cameroon
Cameroon ranks #8 on this list with +19.1 pts.
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 29.88 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$58.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,972 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua.
Also ranks #10 in pm2.5 air pollution exposure · #11 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #15 in age dependency ratio (young).
#9 Cambodia
Cambodia ranks #9 on this list with +18.6 pts.
- Capital
- Phnom Penh
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 17.85 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.27 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,872 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 41.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Phnom Penh.
Also ranks #3 in time to start a business (days) · #5 in manufacturing value added share of gdp · #6 in labour force participation rate.
#10 Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe ranks #10 on this list with +18.3 pts.
- Capital
- Harare
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 16.95 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$51.22 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,021 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 63.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 40.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Harare, Masvingo.
Also ranks #2 in lending interest rate · #3 in inflation rate · #4 in income share of richest 10%.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Change in Access to electricity (rural) over the five years to each country's latest year, in points (a share or rate is not shown as a % of itself). Only countries that rose are listed.
Source: The World Bank, indicator EG.ELC.ACCS.RU.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population): SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: SDG 7.1.1 Electrification Dataset, World Bank (WB).
Values are shown as published (changes are computed from the published values). Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.