SDG 7 | Sustainable developments Goals

SDG 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

SDG Indicator 7.1.2: Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology

1. Key features and metadata

Definition: This indicator measures the share of the population using clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting.

Sub-indicator	Disaggregated by
EG_EGY_CLEAN Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology (%)	Location (Rural/Urban)

Sub-indicator

Disaggregated by

EG_EGY_CLEAN

Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology (%)

Location (Rural/Urban)

Sources of information: National Statistical Offices or any national providers of household surveys and censuses (e.g. Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS), Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), the World Health Survey (WHS), and other national surveys).

Related SDG Indicators: 3.9.1 (Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution), 7.2.1 (Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption) and 7.b.1 (Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita)).

2. Data availability by region, SDG Global Database, as of 02 July 2025

GRAPH

Figure 3.17 Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology

3. Proposed disaggregation, links to policymaking and its impact

Proposed disaggregation	Link to policymaking	Impact
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology, by major types of household end uses (%) (WHO 2014): Cooking Heating Lighting Applies to: EG_EGY_CLEAN	This disaggregation provides relevant information for decision-makers to identify where efforts should be placed to improve overall access to clean fuels and technology. It also highlights what actions are needed to close the energy access gap, to develop and support affordable clean cooking, lighting and heating devise, and to mobilize the required funding (UN 2023a). It is available as part of the Household Energy database while modelled estimates of end use beyond cooking will be developed over the coming years. In particular, policies aimed at increasing access to cleaner household combustion fuels and technologies for cooking, heating, or lighting need to tackle cultural, administrative and infrastructure barriers to their expansion. Also to ensure these products are available and affordable, notably to the poorest groups, so nobody is left behind (WHO 2014). This disaggregation is in line with the UN Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 (UN 2021a).	This is based on modelled estimates developed using the Household Energy Model (WHO 2023a). In 2021, 29% of the world population were still lacking access to clean cooking, with harmful impacts on their health, life expectancy and the environment. Improving dependency on clean fuels impacts household members’ health positively as indoor air pollution generated from using unclean sources of energy for cooking or heating will be greatly reduced.
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology, by wealth (%) (WHO 2023a): Poorest Poorer Middle Higher Highest Applies to: EG_EGY_CLEAN	This disaggregation would allow differentiation between the exposition to risks in relation to the wealth quintile and effectively monitor progress made to address gender disparities (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UN-DESA] 2023a). Approaches to minimize risks and exposure to the use of fuels should incorporate the wealth standpoint, including in the design of alternative technologies to reduce such risks. It can also be useful for decision-makers in developing targeted information/education campaigns and aligning those efforts towards those left further behind given the wealth quintile. This disaggregation is in line with the UN Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 (UN 2021a).	Household fuel combustion, especially in developing countries which lack clean fuels and technologies, is associated with substantial risks and health impacts (i.e. burns, fires, respiratory infection or intoxication). Most often, the poor are the principal users of inefficient energy sources and devices and are the most exposed to these risks and related constraints (International Energy Agency [IEA] et al. 2023; UN-DESA 2023a). Including the disaggregation by wealth will allow better targeting of finance and other types of aid by policymakers and governments.

Proposed disaggregation

Link to policymaking

Impact

Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology, by major types of household end uses (%) (WHO 2014):

Cooking
Heating
Lighting

Applies to:

EG_EGY_CLEAN

This disaggregation provides relevant information for decision-makers to identify where efforts should be placed to improve overall access to clean fuels and technology. It also highlights what actions are needed to close the energy access gap, to develop and support affordable clean cooking, lighting and heating devise, and to mobilize the required funding (UN 2023a). It is available as part of the Household Energy database while modelled estimates of end use beyond cooking will be developed over the coming years. In particular, policies aimed at increasing access to cleaner household combustion fuels and technologies for cooking, heating, or lighting need to tackle cultural, administrative and infrastructure barriers to their expansion. Also to ensure these products are available and affordable, notably to the poorest groups, so nobody is left behind (WHO 2014).

This disaggregation is in line with the UN Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 (UN 2021a).

This is based on modelled estimates developed using the Household Energy Model (WHO 2023a). In 2021, 29% of the world population were still lacking access to clean cooking, with harmful impacts on their health, life expectancy and the environment. Improving dependency on clean fuels impacts household members’ health positively as indoor air pollution generated from using unclean sources of energy for cooking or heating will be greatly reduced.

Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology, by wealth (%) (WHO 2023a):

Poorest
Poorer
Middle
Higher
Highest

Applies to:

EG_EGY_CLEAN

This disaggregation would allow differentiation between the exposition to risks in relation to the wealth quintile and effectively monitor progress made to address gender disparities (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs [UN-DESA] 2023a). Approaches to minimize risks and exposure to the use of fuels should incorporate the wealth standpoint, including in the design of alternative technologies to reduce such risks. It can also be useful for decision-makers in developing targeted information/education campaigns and aligning those efforts towards those left further behind given the wealth quintile.

This disaggregation is in line with the UN Global Roadmap for Accelerated SDG7 (UN 2021a).

Household fuel combustion, especially in developing countries which lack clean fuels and technologies, is associated with substantial risks and health impacts (i.e. burns, fires, respiratory infection or intoxication). Most often, the poor are the principal users of inefficient energy sources and devices and are the most exposed to these risks and related constraints (International Energy Agency [IEA] et al. 2023; UN-DESA 2023a). Including the disaggregation by wealth will allow better targeting of finance and other types of aid by policymakers and governments.