In Lebanon, electricity has become synonymous with the rumble of private generators. According to recent regional media reports, the country ranks first in the Arab world for dependence on private generators, with a staggering 90% of the population relying on them for power.
This widespread use highlights the depth of Lebanon’s chronic electricity crisis, where prolonged blackouts and insufficient public supply have made generators an essential part of daily life, though noisy and polluting. For nine out of ten Lebanese, the whirring sound and exhaust fumes of a generator are now as familiar as any household appliance.
Trailing behind Lebanon is Iraq, which also struggles with unreliable public electricity and high generator usage, though to a slightly lesser extent. At the other end of the spectrum, Jordan presents a stark contrast, with less than 10% of its population dependent on generators, thanks to sustained investment in its electrical grid and renewable energy infrastructure.
While generators symbolize Lebanese resilience in the face of state dysfunction, they also serve as a daily reminder of the country’s deep structural failures in the energy sector, failures that continue to exact an economic, environmental and social toll.
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