The dominant use of electricity in rural households is lighting. All households use it for this purpose, and many use little electricity for anything else. The next most common use is TV. Lighting and TV account for at least 80 percent of rural electricity consumption and thus the bulk of the benefits delivered by electrification. Electricity is rarely used for cooking in rural areas, though East Asia is something of an exception with the use of rice cookers. Fans and irons are also used for a minority of consumption. This is a selection of data from the report. For additional data, please download the chapter document.
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Electrification of Rural Health Clinics and the Cold Chain by Country
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Ghana
 Egypt
Kenya
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Electricity
No Electricity
Electricity
No Electricity
Electricity
No Electricity
Electricity
72.8
27.2
98.6
1.4
77.5
22.5
Refrigerator
64.2
40.7***
51.3
0.0***
71.9
67.3
Ice
2.6
6.2*
0.6
0.0
0.6
0.0
No Storage
21.9
37.2***
11.6
0.0***
3.3
7.1***
ImmunizationÂ
88.7
84.1
63.4
0.0***
75.7
74.5
Electrified (%)
Not Electrified (%)
Bangladesh (2000)
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 Cold chain equipment available and operational
55.9
10.0***
Nicaragua (2001)
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 Electric refrigerator
65.5
10.2***
 Solar refrigerator
15.2
20.7*
 Any refrigerator
80.7
31.0***
 Cold box
29.2
14.1*
 Termo
92.6
65.9***
Rwanda (2001)
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 Refrigerator
80.8
96.6
 Immunization
80.8
98.8***
Source: DHS data except Nicaragua, from Measure Evaluation Health Facility Survey. *Significant difference at 10 percent. **Significant difference at 5 percent. ***Significant difference at 1 percent.
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Electrification and Consumer Goods Ownership in Rural Areas
RSS