Global access to cooling gaps 2023: Summary

The Chilling Prospects 2023 analysis identifies 1.12 billion people at high risk of lacking cooling access, primarily the rural and urban poor. While high-risk populations decreased slightly by 20.4 million since 2022, the lower-middle-income group at medium risk grew to 2.9 billion people. The report highlights significant gender disparities, with women overrepresented in high-risk groups, and identifies 'Critical 9' countries—including India, China, and Nigeria—where the most pronounced risks exist.

• In 2023, 1.12 billion people among the rural and urban poor are at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, representing a decrease of approximately 20.4 million people from the 2022 analysis. This high-risk group is composed of 596 million women and 525 million men, with women making up 52 percent of the high-risk population in rural areas and 54 percent in urban areas.
• The lower-middle-income population at medium risk increased to 2.90 billion people, a 0.4 percent increase in the 2023 analysis and a 7.1 percent increase between 2019 and 2023. Approximately 80 percent of this group lives below the higher poverty line of USD 6.85 per day, which may create affordability constraints for women.
• The 'Critical 9' countries—Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sudan—contain 772.2 million people at high risk. Mozambique has the highest proportional risk at 83 percent of its population, followed by Nigeria (53 percent) and Sudan (44 percent).
• India showed a significant shift in risk profiles: the rural and urban poor populations declined by 16.9 million and 4.2 million people respectively, while the lower-middle-income population at medium risk grew by 21.8 million people, likely due to improvements in rural electricity access and economic resilience.
• Middle-income people at low risk grew by approximately 57 million people since 2022 to reach 958.7 million, with a relatively balanced gender distribution of 475 million women and 484 million men.

APA

Sustainable Energy for All (2023). Global access to cooling gaps 2023: Summary. https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-access-to-cooling-gaps-2023/summary

Chicago

Sustainable Energy for All. Global access to cooling gaps 2023: Summary. 2023. https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-access-to-cooling-gaps-2023/summary.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Sustainable Energy for All |title=Global access to cooling gaps 2023: Summary |date=2023 |url=https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-access-to-cooling-gaps-2023/summary |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sustainableenergyforall2023global, author = {{Sustainable Energy for All}}, title = {{Global access to cooling gaps 2023: Summary}}, institution = {Sustainable Energy for All}, year = {2023}, url = {https://www.seforall.org/chilling-prospects-access-to-cooling-gaps-2023/summary}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }