Effects of Access to Modern Energy Sources on Schooling Outcomes in Ethiopia

Ana Cuesta, University of Minnesota

The objective of this paper is to understand the relationship between access to energy infrastructure in the household (electricity, cooking fuels) and schooling outcomes in Ethiopia. The UNDP-WHO reports that in 2009 about 3 billion people rely on solid fuels for cooking around the world; in the case of Ethiopia more than 90 percent of the population use solid fuels for cooking. There is a huge gap in energy infrastructure between urban and rural areas. This issue affects different schooling outcomes given that children (and women) are those who collect firewood for the household’s supply of energy fuels. Using data from the Young Lives Longitudinal Survey, I estimate the impact of the time spent collecting firewood on schooling outcomes for Ethiopia. Two groups of schooling outcomes are analyzed: time in school and performance. This paper contributes to the literature by measuring the impact of firewood collection on school performance.