Adoption of Electricity in Rural Rwanda 10 Years after Connection
Power grid extension into hitherto unconnected areas is a key policy goal in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, connection and usage rates remain low in rural gridcovered areas, at least in the short and medium run. This paper provides a longterm follow-up of a large grid extension program in rural Rwanda, analyzing electricity adoption over time in a panel of 41 communities electrified up to ten years ago. Using both survey and administrative data, we find that nearly half of the households in grid-covered communities remain unconnected. Even among those directly under the distribution grid, electrification rates stagnate slightly above 80%. Electricity consumption and appliance use are low and have not increased over time. These findings suggest that, from an economic development or cost-benefit standpoint, rural grid investments are hard to justify. Instead, rights-based arguments centered on equity and fairness may offer a more compelling – albeit more controversial – justification for such investments.
Masselus, L., J. Ankel-Peters, G. Gonzalez Sutil, V. Modi, J. Mugyenyi, A. Munyehirwe, N. Williams and M. Sievert (2025), Adoption of Electricity in Rural Rwanda 10 Years after Connection. Nature Communications, 16, 10942