Beyond the grid and the pipe: The hidden reality of electricity and water access in the Middle East and North Africa region

On paper, access to electricity and piped water in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region looks almost universal. In 2022, about 96 percent of people had access to electricity, and 95 percent to basic drinking water. But this headline story is misleading. For millions of households, these services are not reliable. Power cuts and water shortages, particularly during summer peak periods, are part of daily life—and they often hit the most vulnerable the hardest. As this blog argues, bridging the gap between access and reliability will require a broader mix of policy, investment, and service delivery solutions. Figure 1. Access to electricity and the supply of electricity without interruptions, circa 2022 | Figure 2. Access to drinking water and the supply of water without interruptions, circa 2022 Source: World Development Indicators for access to electricity and water, and Arab Barometer (2021/22) for access to electricity and water without interruptions. Access without interruptions means no interruptions, or interruptions only a few times a year. To better understand what access means in practice, we combine official data with representative surveys from eight countries that capture households’ experience of service interruptions. The results are striking. Once reliability is factored in, effective access drops sharply—from 96 to 51 percent for electricity (Figure 1) and from 95 to 52 percent for water (Figure 2). These estimates reflect service reliability as experienced by households, including their ability to cope with network interruptions. Even so, they suggest that while access to infrastructure is widespread, consistent service is far from guaranteed. These averages mask wide cross-country differences. In Lebanon, nearly all households report daily electricity outages, while Jordan experiences relatively reliable service. A similar contrast exists for water, with frequent disruptions in Algeria but fewer reported outages in Jordan. Such differences reflect not only infrastructure quality and service delivery capacity, but also households' ability to adapt to interruptions through mechanisms such as water storage, as well as exposure to climate shocks, economic crises, and conflict. These patterns reflect deeper structural constraints. In many countries, electricity demand, especially during summer peaks, has outpaced system capacity, while water scarcity has widened the gap between supply and demand. Delayed investment, financing constraints, weak cost recovery, and inefficient pricing limit utilities' ability to maintain infrastructure, expand networks, and invest in new capacity. In many countries, below-cost tariffs and subsidies further weaken utility finances and discourage efficient use, contributing to persistent service unreliability. Figure 3. Access to electricity and the supply of electricity without interruptions, circa 2022, urban vs rural vs 100% aspiration | Figure 4. Access to drinking water and the supply of water without interruptions, circa 2022, urban vs rural vs 100% aspiration Source: Arab Barometer, round 6. Note: *** significant difference in mean at 1 percent, ** 5 percent, * 10 percent. Service reliability also varies systematically within countries. Across most of the region, rural households are significantly more likely to experience interruptions in both electricity and water supply than their urban counterparts (Figures 3 and 4). Several factors may contribute to these disparities. Rural areas often face weaker infrastructure networks and lower service quality. They are also more exposed to shocks—such as extreme heat—that can strain already fragile systems, particularly in regions reliant on irrigated agriculture. Bridging this gap requires a more diversified approach that combines stronger service delivery, better data, more sustainable financing, decentralized solutions, and greater private sector participation. For energy, in urban and grid-connected areas, improving reliability depends on stronger utilities, better cost recovery, and more efficient operations, including scaling up renewable energy and reforming tariffs. Investments in grid modernization, storage, and regional interconnections are also critical to improving system resilience and managing peak demand. But in many rural and remote areas, decentralized solutions—such as mini-grids and solar systems—can often deliver more reliable service than grid expansion. For water, improving reliability will require parallel efforts to increase supply through desalination and wastewater reuse, strengthen water resource management, curb demand through smart metering and better-designed tariffs, and reduce losses such as non-revenue water. In the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region, the World Bank Group is supporting this service-oriented approach through a mix of policy reforms, public and private investments, and technical assistance. In energy, engagements include Programs for Results such as Tunisia’s Energy Reliability, Efficiency and Governance Improvement Program TEREG, Morocco’s STEP and Jordan’s Electricity Sector Efficiency and Supply Reliability Program PfoR, alongside regional initiatives such as the Tunisia-Italy Elmed interconnector. In water, the World Bank Group supports programs such as Morocco Water Security and Resilience Program PforR, the Jordan Water Sector Efficiency Series of Projects, or the Lebanon Second Greater Beirut Water Supply Project, alongside regional efforts such as the Mashreq Water Initiative. Together, these efforts point to a broader priority for the region: ensuring that access translates into reliable, affordable, and sustainable essential services for households and communities.