Despite significant progress in the use of clean cooking fuels across Ghana, data from the Ghana Statistical Service reveals that less than 1% of the poorest households have access to these safer and more environmentally friendly energy sources hence, a substantial variation across groups.

Clean fuels, including LPG, natural gas, biogas, electricity, and ethanol, are known for their efficiency and minimal air pollutants, making them a safer option for both human health and the environment.

According to data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys, the number of Ghanaians using clean fuels for cooking has almost tripled over the past two decades—rising from 7.3% in 2003 to 22.5% in 2022.

However, this progress has not been shared equally among different wealth groups. While the wealthiest households saw a significant increase in clean fuel usage—from 34.7% in 2003 to 78.0% in 2022—the poorest households remain largely unaffected.

The percentage of clean fuel usage among these households increased only marginally, from 0.0% to just 0.5% over the same period.

Households in the second and middle wealth quintiles saw slight improvements, while those in the fourth wealth quintile moved from 1.8% to 27.9%.

The disparity is also evident between urban and rural areas. Urban households have seen a dramatic rise in clean fuel use, from 15.8% in 2003 to 36.4% in 2022, whereas rural households experienced a much slower increase, moving from 1.2% to 7.1%.

Regional differences further highlight the inequality. The Greater Accra Region saw the largest increase in clean fuel use with a 24.8 percentage points while regions like the Savannah, North East, and Western North saw minimal progress, with increases of less than 5 percentage points.