India provided electricity access to less than 80% of its population in 2014, according to data from the World Bank.

Only Bangladesh’s population, among India’s neighbours, had lower electricity access at 62.4%.

Countries like Bhutan, China and Maldives have provided 100% population with access to electricity while Pakistan has provided electricity access to 97.5% of its population.

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Source: World Bank

Access to energy, including access to electricity and clean cooking fuel, is essential to reduce poverty, according to this April 2017 report by the World Bank.

Globally, 1.06 billion people did not have access to electricity in April 2017, only a slight improvement from 1.3 billion without access in 2012. At this rate, the world will reach only 92% electrification by 2030, the year by which the United Nations sustainable development goal on energy, including universal access to clean and affordable energy, is to be achieved.

(Patil is an analyst with IndiaSpend.)

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