LPG crisis threatens Africa's clean cooking progress, IEA warns

Sharply increased prices for liquefied petroleum gas are making it unaffordable for many households, potentially leading to a return to more polluting cooking fuels and exacerbating exposure to deadly household air pollution. The IEA's latest clean cooking report indicates that nearly two billion people globally still rely on wood, charcoal, and other polluting fuels for cooking, contributing to 2.5 million premature deaths annually. Half of these individuals reside in Africa, where progress in expanding clean cooking access, though accelerating, is not keeping pace with population growth.

The IEA noted that while physical LPG supplies remained available in Africa, the higher prices are a significant barrier, particularly in markets without state-set fuel pricing like Nigeria and Uganda. Approximately 30 percent of global seaborne LPG trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making 3.4 billion people who depend on LPG vulnerable to supply disruptions and price shocks. The IEA highlighted that many countries lack sufficient domestic LPG reserves to mitigate such impacts.

Despite these challenges, Africa has shown faster progress in clean cooking access, with 23 percent of sub-Saharan Africans having access as of 2024, an increase from the previous year. However, population growth continues