Adoption of Electricity in Rural Rwanda 10 Years after Connection.
Lise Masselus1,2, Jörg Ankel-Peters3,4, Gabriel Gonzalez Sutil5
1RWI - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Essen, 45128, Germany. lise.masselus@rwi-essen.de.
Nature Communications
|December 7, 2025
Summary
Despite rural power grid expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa, connection and usage rates remain low. Long-term data from Rwanda shows significant unconnected households, questioning economic justifications for grid investments.
Area of Science:
- Energy Policy
- Development Economics
- African Studies
Background:
- Sub-Saharan Africa faces low rural electricity connection and usage rates.
- Grid extension is a key policy objective, but adoption challenges persist.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze long-term electricity adoption in rural Rwanda post-grid extension.
- Evaluate the effectiveness and justification of rural electrification programs.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of a panel of 41 rural Rwandan communities.
- Utilized survey and administrative data for household electrification rates.
- Examined electricity consumption and appliance use over time.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of households in grid-covered areas remain unconnected.
- Electrification rates among directly served households barely exceed 80%.
- Electricity consumption and appliance use are low and stagnant.
Conclusions:
- Rural grid investments are difficult to justify on economic or cost-benefit grounds.
- Equity and fairness arguments may provide a stronger, though controversial, rationale for rural electrification.
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