The World Bank Group Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme and the global off-grid solar association GOGLA released the findings at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum and Expo in Kigali, Rwanda.
Users of solar home systems, lanterns, water pumps, generators and other off-grid products increased from 118 million in 2023.
The Off-Grid Solar Market Trends Report 2026 found that off-grid solar remained the lowest-cost electricity solution for at least 398 million people.
Previously considered a temporary bridge until electricity grids reached communities, off-grid solar was increasingly functioning as economic infrastructure for homes, farms, schools, healthcare facilities and small businesses. “Off-grid solar has proven it can deliver at scale, through shocks and in places the grid has not reached,” GOGLA Executive Director Sarah Malm said.
“It now irrigates farms, keeps clinics open and powers the businesses that hold rural economies together.”
The technology has also demonstrated durability, with 95% of surveyed customers reporting that solar home systems remained functional at least four years after purchase.
About 7.4 million people use off-grid solar for microenterprises or income-generating activities in agriculture, retail and services.
Products have generated an estimated $28 billion in additional income and savings for customers over 15 years.
The surveyed off-grid solar market employs 219 000 people, representing a 29% increase over two years. Most are agents and technicians working within the communities served.
However, affordability remains a major barrier. Only one-third of households without electricity can afford an entry-level system through pay-as-you-go financing, while another third could afford one only with financial difficulty.
Connecting hundreds of millions of people by 2030 will require approximately $11.4 billion in investment, including $1.3 billion annually in grants and affordability subsidies and $1.6 billion annually in equity, debt and receivables financing.
Distributed renewable energy is expected to support Mission 300, which aims to connect 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030.
The World Bank Group committed $974 million to off-grid solar during the 2025 and 2026 financial years.
The Report recommended value-added tax exemptions, import-duty waivers and targeted subsidies to reduce costs and expand access.
–WorldBank/ChannelAfrica–
