This paper examines the impact of grid and off-grid electrification on children’s edu- cational attainment in rural Ethiopia. The study employs a difference-in-differences strategy, complemented by an event study framework that leverages the natural experiment arising from the staggered rollout of electricity adoption. 

The results show that rural electrification significantly enhances children’s education by 4-11 months of additional schooling. Grid connectivity has, in the short run, a stronger effect than off-grid solutions. 

Our findings show that electrification reduces the burden of housework on children, and, in particular, firewood collection, allowing them to focus more on their education. 

We find some evidence of a reduction in farming activities among men and no evidence of shifts toward either farm or non-farm activities for women, indicating that the primary benefits of electrification are channeled through reduced child labor rather than through structural changes in adult employment. 

These results highlight the broader welfare implications of rural electrification for children and underscore the urgent need for targeted strategies to address rural energy poverty—an essential step toward inclusive and sustainable development.

Keywords: Energy poverty, children, education, women, employment, Ethiopia
JEL Codes: I21,I39, J13, J16, J22, J24