10 years after: Long-term adoption of electricity in rural Rwanda

Working paper 16 Apr 2025 Sustainable Growth and Energy

Despite grid expansion in rural Rwanda, nearly half of households in electrified communities remain unconnected a decade later, with little growth in electricity use or appliance adoption. Using survey and administrative data from 41 communities, this paper evaluates the economic rationale for rural electrification and suggests equity-based arguments may provide a potentially more compelling yet controversial justification.