Africa stays in the slow lane with transport infrastructure
As the world’s poorest continent with the least developed transport infrastructure, it is no surprise that Africa trails the rest of the world in terms of fuel use
A region that has around 15% of the world’s population is likely to account for just 3.4% of global transportation energy demand in 2015, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Vehicle ownership data are no less gloomy. Only 26 people of every 1,000 in Africa (including the Middle East) owned a passenger car in 2009, compared with 550 in OECD North America. By 2035, Africa’s number will still be just 47, according to Opec. Despite the potential in this huge under-developed region, Africa’s demand growth is forecast to lag that in much of the rest of the developing world in coming decades. The EIA estimates average annual growth of 1.5% in Africa’s transport energy use i
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way
