Modeling rural-nomadic inequalities in electricity access among households in Somalia: application of fairlie decomposition technique

Access to electricity in Somalia remains low and highly unequal, particularly between rural and nomadic populations. This study examines the determinants of household electricity access and decomposes disparities by residence using nationally representative data from the Somalia Health and Demographic Survey. A binary logistic regression model is applied to identify key socio-economic, demographic, and housing-related factors associated with electricity access. At the same time, the Fairlie decomposition technique is used to quantify the contribution of these factors to the rural–nomadic gap. The results show that household wealth is the most significant determinant of electricity access, with substantially higher odds among households in upper wealth quintiles. Living conditions, including sanitation facilities and cooking arrangements, are also important predictors, indicating that electricity access is closely linked to broader household welfare. Female-headed households and those without agricultural land have lower odds of access, while livestock ownership is not statistically significant. Notably, nomadic households exhibit extremely low odds of electricity access compared to rural households, reflecting severe exclusion. The decomposition results reveal a large disparity in electricity access between rural and nomadic households, with most of the gap explained by differences in observable characteristics. Wealth accounts for the largest share of the explained component, followed by sanitation and cooking conditions, while demographic factors contribute minimally. Addressing these disparities requires targeted policies that enhance affordability and expand decentralized energy solutions to underserved communities.