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Global Health Observatory
Associated Indicators
Cooking fuels: population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking, proportion (%)
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for cooking (%) (SDG 7.1.2)
Short name:
PHE_HHAIR_PROP_POP_CLEAN_FUELS
Topic:
Risk factors
Rationale:
The use of solid fuels and kerosene in households is associated with increased mortality from acute lower respiratory, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, and lung cancer.
Definition:
Proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology is calculated as the number of people using clean fuels and technologies for cooking, heating and lighting divided by total population reporting that any cooking, heating or lighting, expressed as percentage. “Clean” is defined by the emission rate targets and specific fuel recommendations (i.e. against unprocessed coal and kerosene) included in the normative guidance WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion.
Disaggregation:
Location (urban/rural)
Method of measurement
The indicator is calculated as the number of people using clean fuels and technologies divided by total population, expressed as a percentage. Based on the recommendations included in the WHO Guidelines for indoor air quality: household fuel combustion, the fuels and technologies that are considered clean include electricity, natural gas, liquified petroleum gas, biogas, ethanol, and solar.
Method of estimation:
A non-parametrical statistical model based on household survey data and time as inputs is applied to derive estimates. For further information on the model, see Stoner O et al, 2020: Global Household Energy Model: A Multivariate Hierarchical Approach to Estimating Trends in the Use of Polluting and Clean Fuels for Cooking (see link below).

Input data for the model is found in the WHO Household Energy Database. This database compiles data from nationally-representative surveys and censuses that provide estimates of primary cooking fuels and technologies. In cases where estimates of the population not cooking at home, with missing data or cooking with "other" fuels are provided, these populations are removed from the denominator for estimation purposes. The population data source is the 2025 Revision of World Urbanization Prospects (see link below).

Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
Countries are population-weighted to obtain regional aggregates.
Preferred data sources:
National survey
Population census
Household surveys
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Annual
Expected frequency of data collection:
Annual
Comments:
There may be discrepancies between internationally reported and nationally reported figures. The reasons are the following: - Modelled estimates versus survey data point. - Use of different definitions of clean fuels and technologies (electricity, natural gas, LPG, inclusion or not of kerosene). - Use of different total population estimate - Estimates are expressed as percentage of population using clean fuels and technologies (as per SDG indicator) as compared to percentage of household using clean fuels and technologies (as assessed by surveys such as DHS or MICS
Contact person email:
sdg7@who.int
Name:
WHO Household Energy & Health Team
IMRID:
4673
Links:
Burning opportunity: clean household energy for health, sustainable development, and wellbeing of women and children. (WHO, 2016) || https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/204717
Global Household Energy Model: A Multivariate Hierarchical Approach to Estimating Trends in the Use of Polluting and Clean Fuels for Cooking. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Applied Statistics, Series C. 2020 || https://rss.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/rssc.12428
World Urbanization Prospects || https://population.un.org/wup/
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