DRC Ranks Lowest in Africa for Energy Transition in 2025
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ranks last among 22 African countries in terms of energy transition performance, according to the Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2025, released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on June 18.
The index evaluates the energy systems of 118 countries worldwide, using a comprehensive framework to measure performance and readiness for transition.
Nigeria leads the continent in the 2025 ranking, placing 61st globally with a score of 54.8 points. The West African nation jumped 48 places from its 2024 ranking, largely due to targeted regulatory reforms, increased investments in clean energy, and the implementation of localized energy transition strategies.
Tunisia follows as Africa’s second-best performer (62nd globally), ahead of Namibia (64th), Mauritius (69th), Morocco (70th), Egypt (74th), South Africa (79th), Kenya (88th), Algeria (89th), and Ivory Coast, which rounds out the African top 10 at 90th globally.
The Energy Transition Index is developed in collaboration with Accenture and evaluates countries based on 43 indicators across two main categories:
Energy system performance (security, sustainability, and equity)
Readiness for energy transition (political commitment, investment and financing, innovation, infrastructure, and human capital)
Each indicator is scored on a 0–100 scale, with energy system performance weighted at 60% and transition readiness at 40% of the final score.
The 2025 report highlights that African nations are making progress in the energy transition, driven by increased political engagement and rising financial flows.
However, this progress remains uneven due to chronic underinvestment, low electricity access rates, and institutional challenges in many parts of the continent.
On a regional level, Sub-Saharan Africa records an average score of 48.8 points, while the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region scores slightly higher at 52.1 points.
Globally, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark maintain their lead in energy transition, thanks to long-term political commitment, robust infrastructure, and well-diversified low-carbon energy systems.
They are followed by Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Latvia, and the Netherlands—all recognized for their efforts in equity, clean energy investment, and renewable energy deployment. Germany and Portugal complete the global top 10.
While advanced economies are dealing with challenges such as grid congestion and high energy prices, emerging regions—including parts of Eastern Europe and Asia—are making swift progress through reforms, infrastructure upgrades, and increased clean energy investment.
Encouragingly, the report finds that 65% of countries surveyed have improved their ETI scores since the last edition.
Notably, 28% of them made gains across all three key pillars: energy security, environmental sustainability, and equity—signaling an accelerating global push toward a more secure, fair, and sustainable energy future.
