More than a connection: Mapping the socioeconomic impacts of electricity accessibility

This study uses bibliometric and science mapping methods to examine the development of global research on the socioeconomic determinants of electricity accessibility between 2001 and 2025. A total of 413 Scopus-indexed publications is analysed using performance analysis and network-based mapping techniques in VOSviewer, including co-word analysis, citation and co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-authorship mapping. Publication output increases sharply after 2015, reflecting growing interest in energy poverty, decentralised renewable energy, and Sustainable Development Goal 7. Four main research clusters are identified, which are i) decentralised renewables and mini-grid based rural electrification; ii) energy poverty, electricity access, and human development; iii) macroeconomic, financial, and environmental linkages; and iv) governance, energy justice, and regional development trajectories. The findings also show increasing integration among socioeconomic analysis, geospatial modelling, technological planning, and policy evaluation. However, important geographical and social gaps remain, particularly in Latin America, the Middle East, Small Island Developing States, and studies of informal settlement residents and Indigenous communities. Future research should connect household level welfare outcomes with wider energy transition processes, and examine the long-term performance of decentralised systems, governance reforms, and climate-resilient electrification pathways. In conclusion, the study organises a fragmented body of literature and provides a foundation for research and policy aimed at equitable and sustainable electricity access.