Access to Electricity vs. Life Expectancy at Birth by Country
Countries with higher Life Expectancy at Birth tend to have higher Access to Electricity.
Very strong link: a correlation of 0.73 across 214 countries.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
Each dot in the chart is one of 214 countries. The correlation between Life Expectancy at Birth and Access to Electricity is 0.73, a very strong relationship: about 53% of the differences in Access to Electricity from place to place line up with Life Expectancy at Birth. Ranked instead of measured, the link is 0.78.
The highest Access to Electricity is in China (100.0%), United States (100.0%) and Russia (100.0%); the lowest is in South Sudan (5.4%), Chad (13.4%) and Malawi (15.6%). The median place has 100.0% for Access to Electricity and 74.7 for Life Expectancy at Birth.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Nauru, Tuvalu and Kiribati have a much higher Access to Electricity than their Life Expectancy at Birth would predict, while Malawi, South Sudan and Burundi have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Life Expectancy at Birth is from 2024 and Access to Electricity from 2024.
Highest Access to Electricity
| Place | Access to Electricity | Life Expectancy at Birth |
|---|---|---|
| China | 100.0% | 78.0 |
| United States | 100.0% | 78.9 |
| Russia | 100.0% | 73.4 |
| Japan | 100.0% | 84.0 |
| Egypt | 100.0% | 71.8 |
Lowest Access to Electricity
| Place | Access to Electricity | Life Expectancy at Birth |
|---|---|---|
| South Sudan | 5.4% | 57.7 |
| Chad | 13.4% | 55.2 |
| Malawi | 15.6% | 67.6 |
| Central African Republic | 18.2% | 57.7 |
| Burundi | 20.1% | 63.8 |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Life Expectancy at Birth
- Full ranking and sources for Access to Electricity