Papua New Guinea Electricity Access
Access to electricity as % of population EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Papua New Guinea's electricity access was 17.82% in 2025, ranked 211th globally. This represents a 13.1% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Papua New Guinea's electricity access stood at 17.82% in 2025, a decline of +2.68pp from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 17.82% by 2025. Papua New Guinea ranked 211th globally.
Papua New Guinea's electricity access has experienced significant fluctuations over the past three decades, with a notable improvement in recent years. Despite ranking #211 globally with 17.82% of the population having access to electricity in 2025, the country's progress is a far cry from its peak of 23.60% in 2019. Notably, this peak occurred just two years after the country's all-time low of 2.16% in 1997, a stark example of the country's rapid expansion of electricity access in the 2010s. Comparatively, other low-income countries such as Malawi, which shares a similar rank with Papua New Guinea, have also made strides in increasing electricity access, but at a slower pace. The trajectory of Papua New Guinea's electricity access is likely to continue improving, given the government's commitment to expanding the country's energy infrastructure and increasing access to electricity for rural communities, which could potentially alter the country's ranking in the coming years.
Data & projection
| Year | Electricity Access | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 17.05% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 17.82% | - | - |
| 2025 | 17.82% | −2.68pp | #211 |
| 2023 | 20.50% | +1.50pp | #208 |
| 2022 | 19.00% | −1.90pp | #209 |
| 2021 | 20.90% | +0.40pp | #206 |
| 2020 | 20.50% | −3.10pp | #206 |
| 2019 | 23.60% | +7.00pp | #204 |
| 2018 | 16.60% | −2.60pp | #209 |
| 2017 | 19.20% | +5.70pp | #206 |
| 2016 | 13.50% | −4.90pp | #209 |
| 2015 | 18.40% | +0.30pp | #205 |
| 2014 | 18.10% | +0.30pp | #205 |
| 2013 | 17.80% | +0.30pp | #199 |
| 2012 | 17.50% | +0.20pp | #201 |
| 2011 | 17.30% | −2.20pp | #199 |
| 2010 | 19.50% | +2.30pp | #196 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Papua New Guinea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw electricity access improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Papua New Guinea's electricity access was 17.82% in 2025. Ranked 211th globally. This represents a 13.1% decrease from the previous year.
Papua New Guinea's electricity access peaked at 23.60% in 2019.
The lowest electricity access in Papua New Guinea was 2.16% in 1997.
Papua New Guinea ranks 211th globally in electricity access as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Papua New Guinea's electricity access is projected to reach 17.82% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The electricity access of Papua New Guinea in 2025 was 17.82%. This ranks 211th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_papua-new-guinea_electricity-access,
title = {Papua New Guinea Electricity Access},
url = {https://historysaid.com/papua-new-guinea/electricity-access/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}