Factors Impacting on Electricity Access in The Least Developed Countries: Empirical Evidence from Afghanistan.

The purpose of the study is to empirically investigate the factors which impact on electricity access of the individuals in Afghanistan. This study hypothesizes that within the least developed countries (LDCs), access to electricity positively impacts the socio-economic status (financial standing and educational level) and health of individuals. In essence, this implies a potential link where enhanced electricity access may contribute to improved health and socio-economic conditions within the context of LDCs. Therefore, a binary regression model is estimated by using a survey database from a cross-sectional sample of 6,270 individuals regarding their access to electricity in 2016 and 2018 in Afghanistan. This survey data has been conducted by the Asia Foundation throughout Afghanistan and is nationally representative. Our findings reveal that there is a strong link between electricity access and the socio-economic status of individuals in the country. Regarding the financial status of individuals, the relation is positive (at p<0.10). In terms of the education level, a strong positive relation is found especially for high school attenders (at p<0.01). The findings revealed that electricity access can contribute to better health and socio-economic status in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]