Multidimensional Energy Poverty Dynamics

Multidimensional energy poverty refers to the simultaneous deprivation of households’ access to modern energy services across several domains, including electricity supply, clean cooking fuels, appliance ownership and affordability. Unlike unidimensional metrics that focus solely on consumption or expenditure, a multidimensional approach captures both the incidence (how many people are affected) and the intensity (the severity of deprivation) of energy poverty. The dynamics of this phenomenon consider how households transition into and out of energy poverty over time, revealing patterns of chronic and transitory deprivation. Key drivers include household income, housing quality, urban–rural location, demographic composition and institutional context, while factors such as remittances and targeted policy interventions can mitigate energy poverty. Understanding these dynamics is critical for designing context-sensitive measures that foster sustainable development, improve health and well-being, and support equitable access to clean energy. Global studies demonstrate that while many countries have made progress in electrification, inequalities persist in clean cooking and appliance ownership, often disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as women, rural dwellers and low-income households. A dynamic perspective informs policy by highlighting when and where households are most at risk, enabling more effective allocation of subsidies, grid extensions and off-grid solutions to achieve universal access.

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Multidimensional Energy Poverty Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in multidimensional energy poverty dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI): a composite measure capturing both the incidence and intensity of energy deprivation across multiple dimensions of household energy services.

State dependence: the increased likelihood of a household remaining energy poor in subsequent periods if it was energy poor in a prior period.

Remittances: financial transfers from migrant workers to households in their country of origin, serving as a source of income that can improve access to modern energy services.

Energy deprivation dimensions: the distinct aspects of energy poverty, such as access to electricity, availability of clean cooking fuels, appliance ownership and the affordability of energy services.

References

1. Global Insights Based on the Multidimensional Energy Poverty Index (MEPI). Sustainability (2013).
2. Determinants, persistence, and dynamics of energy poverty: An empirical assessment using German household survey data. Energy Economics (2021).
3. Multidimensional Energy Poverty and Mental Health: Micro-Level Evidence from Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020).
4. Can remittances alleviate energy poverty in developing countries? New evidence from panel data. Energy Economics (2023).