As extreme weather events, such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods intensify around the world, already stressed energy grids are struggling to keep up, leading to a growing number of power outages globally.
The energy comparison experts at iSelect have compiled the global energy outage report, exploring the nations that are most vulnerable to blackouts by exploring metrics such as the average percentage of the population at risk (elderly or living below the poverty line), the average number of monthly electrical outages, and a climate risk score which assesses how prone the nation is to climate disasters.
Top Countries Prone to Energy Unreliability
| Country | Average Percentage at risk Population | Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) | Energy: System average interruption duration index (SAIDI) | Energy: System average interruption frequency index (SAIFI) | CRI Score 2022 | Overall Score |
| Pakistan | 3,70% | 28,28% | 85,55 | 78,05 | 53,63 | 50,49 |
| Niger | 3,58% | 6,38% | 165,00 | 288,00 | 7,71 | 45,23 |
| Italy | 19,30% | 40,97% | 1,30 | 2,20 | 30,00 | 36,68 |
| Uganda | 7,48% | 90,03% | 61,70 | 49,80 | 5,55 | 32,22 |
| Mozambique | 9,94% | 82,72% | 80,00 | 30,00 | 1,79 | 31,74 |
| Spain | 17,43% | 47,01% | 0,50 | 0,70 | 22,13 | 31,55 |
| Brazil | 15,95% | 77,38% | 6,75 | 3,75 | 3,87 | 26,22 |
| United States | 17,57% | 20,27% | 1,55 | 0,45 | 18,18 | 25,07 |
| Germany | 16,68% | 39,83% | 0,30 | 0,30 | 10,93 | 23,42 |
| Colombia | 15,15% | 76,29% | 4,50 | 3,80 | 0,54 | 23,25 |
| Ghana | 11,99% | 34,87% | 55,90 | 36,30 | 0,01 | 21,88 |
| Turkey | 12,46% | 35,42% | 44,70 | 19,50 | 0,01 | 19,84 |
| Canada | 13,72% | 67,29% | 1,00 | 1,50 | 0,16 | 19,77 |
| South Africa | 14,47% | 6,46% | 30,50 | 6,00 | 10,30 | 19,70 |
| United Kingdom | 15,05% | 40,31% | 0,30 | 0,10 | 5,45 | 19,09 |
| Japan | 21,94% | 21,10% | 0,05 | 0,05 | 1,11 | 19,02 |
| France | 17,03% | 22,83% | 0,40 | 0,30 | 7,24 | 18,79 |
| Peru | 12,79% | 61,27% | 6,40 | 1,70 | 0,03 | 18,59 |
| Argentina | 16,05% | 25,54% | 4,50 | 14,40 | 1,40 | 16,65 |
| Australia | 14,01% | 26,66% | 1,00 | 0,60 | 5,85 | 16,28 |
Pakistan ranks in first position for energy unreliability, making it prone to instances of blackout due to its high frequency and duration of energy interruption. The nation also receives a high index score for climate risk, showing that a changing climate could have an impact on energy reliability moving forward. Their renewable electricity output is also on the lower side, and their general lack of domestic energy resources place them in a vulnerable position.
Niger was ranked second with an overall index score of 45.23 out of 100. The landlocked nation experiences an exponentially higher duration and frequency of power interruptions at 165 hours and 288 outages, alongside an extremely low renewable electricity output (6,38%). On the positive side, they score low on the climate risk index (7.71), indicating that natural disasters are unlikely to be a factor in energy unreliability.
Italy ranks third with a score of 36.68 out of 100. With the second-highest vulnerable population and a high climate risk index score, Italy sees the highest energy unreliability out of all the European countries in our index.
Uganda ranks fourth with a score of 32.22 out of 100, scoring high for their average outage interruption duration with 61.70 hours, alongside an average frequency of 49.80 outages. While Mozambique came fifth with a score of 31.74, it has a higher average interruption duration (80), but a lower frequency (30).