7% of Cape Verde Households Lack Electricity Access
Seven percent of households in Cape Verde remain without access to electricity, according to new data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). While the country has made significant strides in electrification, the divide between urban centers and rural communities remains a key challenge for the archipelago.
The Rural-Urban Energy Gap
The 2024 Energy Transition and Efficiency Report reveals that while 92.9% of the nation’s housing units are electrified, the remaining 7.1% are still in the dark. The disparity is most striking in rural areas, where 11.4% of homes lack power, compared to 5.7% in urban centers.
Geographically, the island of Brava has achieved nearly total electricity coverage. In contrast, the island of Fogo faces the most significant challenges, with 10.4% of dwellings lacking access. Santiago and Sal also recorded coverage rates lower than the national average.
Source of Power and Cooking Habits
The public grid remains the dominant source of energy for Cape Verdean citizens. Despite the country’s potential for renewable energy, the report found that only 0.4% of households currently utilize solar panels as their primary source of electricity.
Energy usage in the kitchen also highlights a reliance on traditional resources. In rural regions, one-third of all households continue to rely on firewood for cooking, posing both environmental and health considerations for the island nation.
Efficiency and Consumer Behavior
Beyond access, the report scrutinized how Cape Verdeans manage their energy use. The findings suggest a lack of engagement with energy conservation: 54.2% of individuals aged 15 or older reported making no effort to reduce their consumption in 2024.
For the minority who did practice energy-saving measures, the motivations were financial rather than environmental. Cost reduction was the primary driver for those who chose to turn off appliances when not in use or limit their overall usage time.
The data was collected during the fourth quarter of 2024 as part of the Energy Efficiency and Transition module of the Continuous Multi-Objective Survey (IMC).
Image: Pexels – damien Saillet
