Energy poverty and household health in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence and mechanisms

Abstract

Energy poverty remains a critical barrier to human development in sub-Saharan Africa, where limited access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy affects various aspects of household well-being. This study focuses on understanding the extent of household energy poverty and its implications for health outcomes in the region. Using the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program datasets for 2000–2021, we comprehensively analyze household energy poverty by constructing a multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI) for 20 sub-Saharan African countries. We then investigate the effects of energy poverty on household health. The results show that the multifaceted energy poverty index scores exceed 0.5 across these regions, and sub-Saharan African countries face severe energy poverty. Meanwhile, we find a significant and negative association between energy poverty and healthy outcomes. Our further analysis also reveals that access to medical care, education and nutrition are the main mechanisms through which energy poverty affects household health. These findings highlight the urgent need for integrated energy and social policies to mitigate the health burdens of energy poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. And this study fills a gap in multi-country microdata analyses linking energy poverty to health outcomes in Africa.