BTA2023 Data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, as reported by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), highlights a slow but notable shift towards cleaner cooking fuels over the past two decades. While nationwide adoption has nearly tripled—from 7.3% in 2003 to 22.5% in 2022—households in the poorest wealth bracket have seen only a marginal increase, from 0% to just 0.5% within the 19-year period.
The report, released in commemoration of the International Day of Clean Energy on January 26, underscores the persistent disparities in access to clean energy. Clean cooking fuels—including LPG, electricity, natural gas, biogas, ethanol, solar, and alcohol-based stoves—have become more common among wealthier households, with those in the highest wealth quintile increasing their usage from 34.7% to 88%. Similarly, households in the fourth quintile saw a jump from 1.8% to 27.9%.
Geographical disparities are also evident. Urban households have significantly increased their adoption of clean cooking fuels, from 15.8% in 2003 to 36.4% in 2022, whereas rural households saw a much smaller rise, from 1.2% to 7.1%. Regional trends further illustrate the uneven progress, with the Greater Accra Region leading the way with a 24.8 percentage-point increase, while the Savannah Region recorded the lowest growth at just 0.9 percentage points.
Six regions—including North East (1.5 percentage points), Western North (2.4), Oti (3.2), Upper West (3.2), and Bono East (4.5)—reported gains of less than five percentage points, falling well below the national average increase of 15.2 percentage points.
Despite the overall progress, the data underscores the urgent need for targeted policies to bridge the energy access gap, ensuring that cleaner, safer, and more sustainable cooking solutions reach all households, regardless of income level or location.
