SDG Indicator 7.1.1: Global Electricity Access at National and Subnational Levels

The 2023 release estimates the proportion of population with access to electricity for 206 countries and 45,979 subnational units. This dataset, part of the Sustainable Development Goal Indicators collection, is produced by ESDIS and was last updated in December 2022. It is derived from VIIRS nighttime lights and WorldPop population data to measure progress towards UN SDG 7.

Use Cases

• Tracking progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 based on the indicator 7.1.1.
• Analyzing disparities in electricity access between countries and subnational regions based on the 45,979 level 2 units.
• Modeling the relationship between nighttime light intensity and population access based on the VIIRS and WorldPop methodology.
• Identifying regions, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where populations are predicted to lack electricity access by 2030.

Strengths

• Covers 206 countries, providing a global scope.
• Includes data for 45,979 level 2 subnational units, enabling granular analysis.
• Methodology is explicitly described, using VIIRS nighttime lights and WorldPop population data.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Last updated 2022-12-31 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

ESDIS

Collection Method

Indicator computed as the proportion of WorldPop gridded population located within illuminated areas defined by annual VIIRS Nighttime Lights Version 2 data.

Time Range

The 2023 release, with underlying data likely from prior years.

Freshness

Last updated 2022-12-31 00:00:00.

Geography

Global coverage for 206 countries and subnational units.