The Ledger · Entry 26
Three-quarters of the world now cooks with clean fuel
Share of the population cooking mainly with clean fuels and technologies
Data: Our World in Data, based on the WHO Global Health Observatory
Cooking over wood, charcoal, dung or coal fills a home with smoke, and the household air pollution it creates is one of the largest environmental causes of early death, hitting women and small children hardest. Switching to clean fuels and stoves, gas, electricity, and the like, removes that smoke at the source.
The key rows
In 2000, fewer than half the world cooked cleanly. By 2024 it was 75%. The gain is huge, but population growth means the number of people still cooking over open fires has barely fallen in the poorest regions, so the count left behind is still enormous.
Asked often
What share of the world has clean cooking?
About 75% of the world cooked primarily with clean fuels and technologies in 2024, up from 47% in 2000.
Why does clean cooking matter?
Burning wood, charcoal, dung or coal indoors creates household air pollution, a leading environmental cause of early death. Clean fuels and stoves remove that smoke, protecting women and young children most of all.
The world also got better today.
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