Power Outages by Country 2026

Imagine losing electricity 11 times a year for hours at a time. That's the reality for millions in countries with unreliable power supply. Meanwhile, some nations experience virtually zero power outages. This analysis ranks 154 countries by their electricity reliability, revealing the stark gap between nations with stable grids and those plagued by constant blackouts.

What Are Power Outages?

A power outage (also called a blackout, power cut, or electricity outage) occurs when the supply of electrical power is interrupted. This can last from seconds to hours or even days. The impact ranges from minor inconvenience to serious economic damage.

We measure electricity reliability using two key metrics:

• Annual Outage Hours: Total hours of power cuts per year. Singapore: 0.02 hours (12 minutes). Iraq: 2,352 hours (98 days)
• Outages Per Year: How many times the grid fails. Singapore: 0.03 times. Iraq: 1,008 times

Power Outages by Country 2026

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#	Country	Annual Outage Hours 2026
1	Iraq IQ	2,352
2	Papua New Guinea PG	1,901.49
3	Libya LY	1,883.4
4	Afghanistan AF	1825
5	Palau PW	1,368.27
6	Burundi BI	660
7	Niger NE	269.95
8	Zimbabwe ZW	206.27
9	Mali ML	168
10	Guyana GY	137.2
11	Marshall Islands MH	120
12	Maldives MV	114.75
13	Kenya KE	100.81
14	Nicaragua NI	91.47
15	Liberia LR	90.85
16	Pakistan PK	89.6
17	Togo TG	85
18	Mozambique MZ	80
19	Uganda UG	64.44
20	Sierra Leone SL	62.12
21	Eswatini SZ	59.74
22	Gabon GA	52.86
23	Sudan SD	52.51
24	Mongolia MN	45.3
25	Türkiye TR	43.56
26	Jamaica JM	43.03
27	Montenegro ME	41.72
28	Tanzania TZ	37.48
29	Ghana GH	36.01
30	Paraguay PY	33.22
31	Zambia ZM	31.76
32	Honduras HN	29.41
33	Ivory Coast CI	28.09
34	Kosovo XK	26.77
35	Samoa WS	26.56
36	Myanmar MM	26.14
37	Kyrgyzstan KG	26
38	South Africa ZA	22.65
39	Tonga TO	20.03
40	Puerto Rico PR	19.41
41	Cambodia KH	18.29
42	Vanuatu VU	16.77
43	Laos LA	16.69
44	Belize BZ	12.66
45	Bhutan BT	12.07
46	Angola AO	11.62
47	Cape Verde CV	10.68
48	Grenada GD	10.55
49	Armenia AM	9.88
50	El Salvador SV	9.64
51	Vietnam VN	9.58
52	Egypt EG	9.51
53	Uruguay UY	9.47
54	Rwanda RW	8.38
55	Bolivia BO	8.02
56	Trinidad and Tobago TT	7.62
57	Panama PA	6.98
58	Iran IR	6.48
59	Bahamas BS	5.9
60	India IN	5.54
61	Bulgaria BG	5.46
62	North Macedonia MK	5.35
63	Barbados BB	4.85
64	Argentina AR	4.28
65	Fiji FJ	4.28
66	Georgia GE	4.25
67	Malta MT	4.08
68	Sri Lanka LK	3.99
69	Indonesia ID	3.94
70	New Zealand NZ	3.92
71	Serbia RS	3.79
72	Guatemala GT	3.75
73	Peru PE	3.74
74	Tajikistan TJ	3.52
75	Algeria DZ	3.19
76	Antigua and Barbuda AG	2.92
77	Croatia HR	2.84
78	Tunisia TN	2.79
79	Brazil BR	2.77
80	Saudi Arabia SA	2.67
81	Philippines PH	2.64
82	Colombia CO	2.6
83	Ukraine UA	2.33
84	Greece GR	2.31
85	Hungary HU	2.3
86	Seychelles SC	2.19
87	Slovenia SI	2.16
88	Costa Rica CR	2.09
89	Romania RO	1.85
90	United States US	1.74
91	Chile CL	1.47
92	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	1.4
93	Mauritius MU	1.33
94	Oman OM	1.33
95	Dominican Republic DO	1.32
96	Solomon Islands SB	1.14
97	Ecuador EC	1.1
98	Poland PL	1.08
99	Italy IT	1.07
100	Slovakia SK	1.02
101	Australia AU	1.01
102	Jordan JO	0.98
103	Canada CA	0.94
104	Palestine PS	0.94
105	Kazakhstan KZ	0.92
106	Netherlands NL	0.91
107	Sweden SE	0.88
108	Mexico MX	0.85
109	Morocco MA	0.84
110	Bahrain BH	0.84
111	Norway NO	0.79
112	Ireland IE	0.78
113	Azerbaijan AZ	0.76
114	Senegal SN	0.75
115	Namibia NA	0.72
116	Moldova MD	0.7
117	Estonia EE	0.66
118	Spain ES	0.65
119	Cyprus CY	0.64
120	Iceland IS	0.63
121	Denmark DK	0.61
122	Malaysia MY	0.61
123	Finland FI	0.56
124	San Marino SM	0.53
125	Portugal PT	0.53
126	Austria AT	0.52
127	Russia RU	0.51
128	Czech Republic CZ	0.5
129	Belgium BE	0.5
130	Belarus BY	0.47
131	China CN	0.45
132	Qatar QA	0.44
133	France FR	0.39
134	United Arab Emirates AE	0.39
135	Hong Kong HK	0.38
136	Lithuania LT	0.38
137	Luxembourg LU	0.37
138	Israel IL	0.34
139	Saint Lucia LC	0.32
140	Taiwan TW	0.26
141	Latvia LV	0.26
142	Dominica DM	0.25
143	Switzerland CH	0.24
144	Albania AL	0.22
145	Germany DE	0.21
146	United Kingdom GB	0.18
147	Thailand TH	0.16
148	Kuwait KW	0.13
149	Uzbekistan UZ	0.12
150	Japan JP	0.11
151	Liechtenstein LI	0.08
152	South Korea KR	0.06
153	Singapore SG	0.04
154	Brunei BN	0

Key Findings

Singapore leads globally with virtually zero power disruptions (0.02 hours annually). South Korea, Liechtenstein, and Japan follow closely. These countries have invested heavily in grid infrastructure and maintenance.

Meanwhile, countries like Iraq (2,352 hours/year), Libya (1,883 hours/year), and Afghanistan (1,825 hours/year) experience severe electricity supply problems, with thousands of hours of blackouts annually. Türkiye experiences moderate power outages at 23 hours per year, with about 12 electricity disruptions annually.

Top 10 Most Reliable Countries (Fewest Power Outages):

• Singapore - 0.02 hours/year (virtually no power cuts)
• South Korea - 0.07 hours/year
• Liechtenstein - 0.08 hours/year
• Kuwait - 0.10 hours/year
• Japan - 0.11 hours/year
• Russia - 0.17 hours/year
• Switzerland - 0.20 hours/year
• Germany - 0.21 hours/year
• Finland - 0.21 hours/year
• France - 0.22 hours/year

Countries with Most Severe Power Outages:

• Iraq - 2,352 hours/year (continuous electricity outages)
• Libya - 1,883 hours/year
• Afghanistan - 1,825 hours/year
• Burundi - 660 hours/year
• Papua New Guinea - 563 hours/year
• Palau - 465 hours/year
• Zimbabwe - 346 hours/year
• Niger - 262 hours/year
• Maldives - 244 hours/year
• Mali - 168 hours/year

Why Power Outages Matter

Frequent electricity blackouts and power disruptions have serious consequences:

• Economic Impact: Businesses lose productivity during power cuts. Manufacturing stops. Data centers go offline. Hospitals struggle
• Healthcare Crisis: Electricity outages in hospitals can be life-threatening. Medical equipment fails without power
• Food Security: Refrigeration fails during blackouts, causing food spoilage
• Water Supply: Pumping stations stop during power disruptions, leaving communities without water
• Education: Schools and universities cannot operate during electricity outages
• Investment: Companies avoid countries with unreliable power supply

Regional Patterns

Europe - Highly Reliable

European countries dominate the reliability rankings. Germany, France, and Switzerland experience minimal power outages. This reflects decades of investment in grid modernization and maintenance. Even Eastern European nations like Czech Republic and Poland have reliable electricity supply.

Asia - Mixed Results

East Asia (Japan, South Korea, Singapore) has excellent power reliability with virtually no blackouts. However, South Asia and Southeast Asia face more frequent electricity disruptions. Countries like India and Indonesia experience regular power cuts.

Africa - Severe Challenges

African nations struggle with electricity outages. Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda experience dozens of hours of power disruptions annually. Infrastructure investment is insufficient to meet growing demand.

Middle East - Inconsistent

Gulf states like UAE and Qatar have reliable power supply due to oil wealth. However, Iraq and other conflict-affected nations face severe electricity blackouts.

Americas - Developing Infrastructure

North America (USA, Canada) has reliable electricity. Latin America shows mixed results. Costa Rica has good power reliability, while Nicaragua and other Central American countries experience frequent power outages.

Why Power Outages Happen

Old Infrastructure: Aging power grids fail more often. A 50-year-old transformer is more likely to break than a new one. Countries that haven't upgraded their grids since the 1980s face constant electricity disruptions.

Demand Exceeds Supply: Rapid population growth creates demand that outpaces electricity generation. When demand spikes (summer heat, winter cold), the grid can't handle it, causing rolling blackouts.

Lack of Investment: Building new power plants and upgrading grid infrastructure costs billions. Poor countries can't afford it. Rich countries invest continuously, maintaining reliable power supply.

Weather and Geography: Tropical storms destroy power lines. Island nations like Maldives and Palau face frequent electricity outages from hurricanes. Mountainous regions struggle to build reliable grid infrastructure.

Conflict and Instability: War destroys power infrastructure. Iraq's catastrophic electricity outages (2,352 hours/year) result from decades of conflict. Rebuilding takes years.

Corruption and Mismanagement: Some countries have money for power infrastructure but waste it through corruption. Maintenance budgets disappear. Power plants aren't repaired. Blackouts multiply.

Power Outages by Country 2026

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#	Country	Annual Outage Hours 2019	Outages Per Year 2019	Annual Outage Hours 2026	Outages Per Year 2026
1	Iraq	2,352	1008	2,352	1008
2	Papua New Guinea	563.23	307	1,901.49	936.3
3	Libya	1,883.4	606	1,883.4	606
4	Afghanistan	1825	620	1825	620
5	Palau	465.27	33.37	1,368.27	33.37
6	Burundi	660	330	660	330
7	Niger	262.25	219.33	269.95	349.06
8	Zimbabwe	346	52.69	206.27	0.65
9	Mali	168	62.5	168	62.5
10	Guyana	117.6	113.2	137.2	119.5
11	Marshall Islands	120	48	120	48
12	Maldives	244.33	30.65	114.75	30.65
13	Kenya	100.81	13.94	100.81	5.35
14	Nicaragua	77.74	40.68	91.47	45.44
15	Liberia	90.85	27	90.85	27
16	Pakistan	89.6	81.65	89.6	81.65
17	Togo	85	37.5	85	37.5
18	Mozambique	80	30	80	30
19	Uganda	56.02	35.89	64.44	58.6
20	Sierra Leone	62.12	24.77	62.12	24.77
21	Eswatini	59.74	25.04	59.74	8.33
22	Gabon	52.86	48.5	52.86	48.5
23	Sudan	61.98	18.32	52.51	7.35
24	Mongolia	72.6	10.4	45.3	11.8
25	Türkiye	23.01	11.85	43.56	19.11
26	Jamaica	36.75	16.35	43.03	15.1
27	Montenegro	32.53	27.35	41.72	31.43
28	Tanzania	37.48	45.64	37.48	24.43
29	Ghana	87.68	47.93	36.01	31.47
30	Paraguay	27.7	24.47	33.22	31.99
31	Zambia	93.13	9.23	31.76	3.7
32	Honduras	41.61	30.93	29.41	20.07
33	Ivory Coast	28.09	24.4	28.09	9.69
34	Kosovo	26.77	12.65	26.77	12.65
35	Samoa	25.54	19.33	26.56	10
36	Myanmar	26.14	23.86	26.14	23.86
37	Kyrgyzstan	26	6.09	26	6.09
38	South Africa	46.28	6.22	22.65	6.22
39	Tonga	18.69	12.16	20.03	5.68
40	Puerto Rico	10.56	4.57	19.41	5.18
41	Cambodia	25.98	19.46	18.29	12.29
42	Vanuatu	6.56	7.26	16.77	4.86
43	Laos	16.69	16.12	16.69	37.97
44	Belize	23.09	17.88	12.66	10.62
45	Bhutan	5.22	3.57	12.07	8.52
46	Angola	6.28	5.43	11.62	9.77
47	Cape Verde	24.14	20.64	10.68	11.54
48	Grenada	4.86	6.72	10.55	11.47
49	Armenia	5.26	4.51	9.88	5.8
50	El Salvador	9.64	4.99	9.64	0.68
51	Vietnam	9.58	5.44	9.58	5.44
52	Egypt	9.51	2.81	9.51	2.61
53	Uruguay	6.46	3.16	9.47	3.45
54	Rwanda	8.38	15.73	8.38	15.73
55	Bolivia	7.54	8.68	8.02	7.45
56	Trinidad and Tobago	5.56	4.11	7.62	2.32
57	Panama	2.74	2.04	6.98	4.89
58	Iran	5.64	4.94	6.48	5.14
59	Bahamas	6.23	7.19	5.9	5.6
60	India	3.38	2.82	5.54	1.78
61	Bulgaria	6.1	4.69	5.46	5.17
62	North Macedonia	7.09	13.63	5.35	13.18
63	Barbados	3.73	6.01	4.85	7.16
64	Argentina	4.15	14.99	4.28	13.47
65	Fiji	7.21	6.95	4.28	1.17
66	Georgia	7.37	5.04	4.25	4.43
67	Malta	3.53	2.54	4.08	2.32
68	Sri Lanka	3.22	2.8	3.99	2.29
69	Indonesia	3.47	2.43	3.94	3.19
70	New Zealand	2.71	1.68	3.92	2.17
71	Serbia	4.2	3.56	3.79	3.61
72	Guatemala	3.8	2.62	3.75	2.35
73	Peru	8.53	2.27	3.74	0.91
74	Tajikistan	3.52	4.5	3.52	4.5
75	Algeria	4.92	9.14	3.19	9.06
76	Antigua and Barbuda	5.13	8.27	2.92	4.33
77	Croatia	4.76	1.82	2.84	2.07
78	Tunisia	3.09	2.47	2.79	2.33
79	Brazil	11.62	5.14	2.77	3.67
80	Saudi Arabia	1.61	1.16	2.67	2.02
81	Philippines	4.42	3.3	2.64	2.05
82	Colombia	5.82	5.57	2.6	1.37
83	Ukraine	3.77	1.92	2.33	1.62
84	Greece	1.63	1.29	2.31	1.6
85	Hungary	2.92	1.35	2.3	1.1
86	Seychelles	2.19	0.72	2.19	0.72
87	Slovenia	2.16	1.4	2.16	1.4
88	Costa Rica	0.46	0.24	2.09	1.09
89	Romania	2.85	2.98	1.85	2.51
90	United States	0.94	0.33	1.74	0.52
91	Chile	3.29	1.52	1.47	1.61
92	Bosnia and Herzegovina	2.67	0.71	1.4	0.25
93	Mauritius	1.72	0.64	1.33	0.85
94	Oman	2.84	1.74	1.33	0.48
95	Dominican Republic	9.62	9.9	1.32	6.4
96	Solomon Islands	4.59	3.45	1.14	3.45
97	Ecuador	2.6	3.53	1.1	2.15
98	Poland	1.28	1.2	1.08	0.72
99	Italy	0.71	1.94	1.07	1.46
100	Slovakia	0.85	0.62	1.02	0.63
101	Australia	1.19	0.68	1.01	0.47
102	Jordan	2.89	1.81	0.98	0.93
103	Canada	0.94	1.31	0.94	1.5
104	Palestine	7.92	10.45	0.94	8.72
105	Kazakhstan	0.87	1.04	0.92	0.75
106	Netherlands	0.54	0.37	0.91	0.47
107	Sweden	0.88	0.68	0.88	0.2
108	Mexico	0.52	0.97	0.85	0.51
109	Morocco	0.39	1.68	0.84	3.69
110	Bahrain	0.99	0.71	0.84	0.69
111	Norway	1.14	1.3	0.79	0.6
112	Ireland	0.37	0.24	0.78	0.55
113	Azerbaijan	0.93	1.41	0.76	0.38
114	Senegal	55.36	33.3	0.75	11.34
115	Namibia	0.63	0.21	0.72	0.11
116	Moldova	1.51	1.6	0.7	1.15
117	Estonia	0.66	0.33	0.66	0.02
118	Spain	0.49	0.68	0.65	0.88
119	Cyprus	0.64	0.21	0.64	0.06
120	Iceland	0.54	0.48	0.63	0.41
121	Denmark	0.47	0.47	0.61	0.57
122	Malaysia	0.56	0.56	0.61	0.53
123	Finland	0.21	0.22	0.56	0.08
124	San Marino	0.4	2.13	0.53	3.74
125	Portugal	0.58	0.71	0.53	0.52
126	Austria	0.73	0.7	0.52	0.64
127	Russia	0.17	0.04	0.51	0.11
128	Czech Republic	0.5	0.31	0.5	0.38
129	Belgium	0.52	0.48	0.5	0.48
130	Belarus	0.31	0.26	0.47	0.54
131	China	1.2	0.29	0.45	0.02
132	Qatar	0.44	0.23	0.44	0.23
133	France	0.22	0.2	0.39	0.25
134	United Arab Emirates	0.39	0.23	0.39	0.29
135	Hong Kong	0.39	0.18	0.38	0.19
136	Lithuania	0.42	0.35	0.38	0.25
137	Luxembourg	0.33	0.27	0.37	0.2
138	Israel	1.81	2.09	0.34	0.99
139	Saint Lucia	0.32	0.32	0.32	0.22
140	Taiwan	0.28	0.23	0.26	0.2
141	Latvia	1.31	0.88	0.26	0.88
142	Dominica	0.78	0.36	0.25	0.29
143	Switzerland	0.2	0.17	0.24	0.27
144	Albania	86.34	43.49	0.22	22.24
145	Germany	0.21	0.22	0.21	0.29
146	United Kingdom	0.33	0.17	0.18	0.07
147	Thailand	0.54	1.12	0.16	0.21
148	Kuwait	0.1	0.55	0.13	0.4
149	Uzbekistan	0.27	0.09	0.12	0.05
150	Japan	0.11	0.05	0.11	0.05
151	Liechtenstein	0.08	0	0.08	0
152	South Korea	0.07	0.06	0.06	0.03
153	Singapore	0.02	0.03	0.04	0.1
154	Brunei	0.77	0.47	0	0.12

Data Methodology

What We Measured: We analyzed official power outage data from 154 countries, measuring two key metrics:

• Annual Outage Hours: Total hours of electricity disruptions per year. A country with 23 hours means customers lose power for about 23 hours annually (roughly 2 hours per month)
• Outages Per Year: How many times power cuts occur. 12 outages per year means the grid fails about once per month

Data Source: World Bank Doing Business Report - Getting Electricity indicators (2015-2019 average)

Why These Numbers Matter: A country with 0.02 hours/year (Singapore) has virtually perfect electricity reliability. A country with 2,352 hours/year (Iraq) loses power for 98 days annually - essentially no reliable power supply.

2026 Projections: Based on historical trends from 2015-2019 data. Countries improving infrastructure show declining outage rates. Countries with deteriorating grids show increasing blackouts. 2026 projections calculated and compiled by StatsGeo administrators using linear trend analysis.

Important Note: Data reflects officially reported power disruptions. Some countries may underreport blackouts. Informal settlements often experience more electricity outages than official statistics show.