IEA Launches Global Household Energy Expenditure Database to Support Energy Affordability Policies
By Eyo Nsima
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched the first edition of its Household Energy Expenditure Database, a new global resource designed to help governments, researchers and policymakers better understand how households spend on energy and develop more effective policies to improve energy affordability and access.
The pilot database, released in June 2026, covers more than 100 countries and provides annual data spanning 2015 to 2025.
It offers a comprehensive picture of household energy expenditure by combining the IEA’s end-use energy prices, residential energy consumption, population and income data.
According to the IEA, the database is intended to support evidence-based policy making by enabling detailed analysis of energy-related household spending, particularly at a time when many countries are grappling with rising energy costs, inflation and the transition to cleaner energy sources.
The agency stated that the database generates top-down estimates of residential energy expenditure and includes seven key expenditure indicators across nine energy products and three residential end-use categories.
The data, available free of charge in Microsoft Excel format through the IEA’s data services platform, is expected to become a valuable tool for governments, development institutions, academics and energy analysts seeking to evaluate the affordability of household energy and the effectiveness of subsidy and social protection programmes.
The IEA noted that this is the inaugural edition of the Household Energy Expenditure Database and described it as a pilot project that will continue to evolve based on user feedback.
“The Household Energy Expenditure database (pilot version) is designed to enable the calculation and analysis of energy-related expenditure metrics, focused on households,” the agency said.
It added that the database integrates multiple data sources and methodologies to produce expenditure estimates that support policy analysis and research, while encouraging users to provide comments to improve future editions.
The agency disclosed that the database would be updated twice annually, with the latest edition released on June 19, 2026.
Relevance for Nigeria and Africa
For Nigeria and many African countries, the database could provide valuable insights into the financial burden of energy on households, especially as governments continue reforms in electricity tariffs, petrol pricing and clean cooking initiatives.
Energy affordability has become a major policy issue across the continent. Millions of households continue to rely on expensive petrol and diesel generators due to unreliable electricity supply, while cooking gas, kerosene and electricity prices have risen sharply in recent years.
Access to comparable international household energy expenditure data could help policymakers assess the impact of energy pricing reforms, identify vulnerable households requiring targeted support, and measure progress towards universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy under Sustainable Development Goal 7.
The database could also assist governments in designing more effective subsidy programmes, evaluating energy poverty, tracking the adoption of cleaner energy technologies and supporting investments in renewable energy, rural electrification and energy efficiency.
The IEA said users can download the database free of charge after creating an account on its data services platform, while comments and technical inquiries can be submitted to the agency as it works to improve subsequent editions.
