Niger
NERNiger has about as many people as Taiwan, and 355 times less electricity to share between them.
27 million people against 23 million, but 35 kWh per person a year against 12,478.
What this grid depends on
Three measures that say more about a country than how much power it makes. Open “what this means” on any of them if the term is new.
Among the most carbon-heavy electricity anywhere.
What this means
How much planet-warming gas is released to make one unit of electricity. Two countries can generate exactly the same amount and one of them be ten times dirtier doing it. Lower is better.
Niger depends heavily on its neighbours for power.
What this means
The share of the electricity used here that was generated abroad and carried in over high-voltage lines. The higher it climbs, the more this country relies on a neighbour to keep its lights on.
Also true of Niger
Niger generates no hydro electricity at all, in a region built on it.
60% of grids in Africa draw more than a tenth of their power from hydro.
Niger's electricity is dirtier than the world average.
674 grams of CO2e a kilowatt-hour against a world figure of 458 — 47% above.
Oil overtook coal on Niger's grid in 2015.
Today oil supplies 74% and coal 18%.
Niger’s neighbours
BeninGas overtook oil on Benin's grid in 2019.
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso has about as many people as Taiwan, and 174 times less electricity to share between them.
ChadChad uses less electricity per person than any other country in the world.
MaliMali has about as many people as Taiwan, and 51 times less electricity to share between them.
LibyaLibya generates no hydro electricity at all, in a region built on it.
Figures are for 2024, the most recent year reported for Niger. Generation shares are a percentage of electricity generated, not of energy used. How this is calculated.