Electrification and Development:The case study of Rwanda

Abstract: As of today, 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to electricity, while 2.9 billion rely on polluting fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene for cooking. This is most prominent in Sub-Saharan Africa where two thirds of the population do not have access to electricity and modern cooking fuels. As electricity serves a prominent part of modern society, electrification is often referred to as a key enabler for socio-economic development. The United Nations have agreed on 17 Sustainable development Goals with the aim to stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for ending poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. According to the World Bank, energy is interconnected with 125 out of the total 169 sub-targets that are included in the Sustainable Development Goals. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the relation between access to electricity and relevant development indicators. By assessing previous research within the field of electrification and development, a number of key indicators have been selected for further analysis. A statistical analysis on the development of these indicators in the case study of Rwanda was performed and demonstrated that access to electricity services does have considerable impact on socio-economic development.