Socio-economic drivers of household cooking energy use in Missenyi District, Tanzania

Abstract

Access to clean cooking energy remains a major development challenge in many developing countries, particularly in rural areas where households continue to depend heavily on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal. Despite the implementation of various national policies and programs to promote clean cooking energy in Tanzania, the adoption of modern cooking fuels remains relatively low. This study examined the socio-economic factors influencing household cooking energy choices in Missenyi District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study sought to identify the primary cooking energy sources used by households and determine the socio-economic factors influencing the adoption of different cooking energy options. This study is anchored on the Energy Ladder Theory which explains how households transition from traditional to modern cooking energy sources as their socio-economic conditions improve. A cross-sectional research design was employed, and primary data were collected from 100 households in Kassambya, Nsunga and Kyaka wards using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and a Multinomial Logistic Regression (MNL) model were used to analyze the data. The findings indicate that firewood (39%) and charcoal (29%) remain the dominant cooking energy sources, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (22%), electricity (8%), and biogas (2%) are less commonly used. The regression results further reveal that household income, education level, age, household size, gender, and marital status significantly influence household cooking energy choices. Higher-income and better-educated households were more likely to adopt cleaner cooking fuels such as LPG and electricity, whereas lower-income and larger households relied predominantly on traditional fuels, particularly charcoal and firewood. The study concludes that socio-economic characteristics play a significant role in determining household cooking energy choices in rural Tanzania. It recommends strengthening household income-generating opportunities, expanding access to affordable clean cooking technologies, improving rural energy infrastructure, and implementing awareness programs that promote the health, environmental, and economic benefits of modern cooking energy. These interventions are essential for accelerating the transition towards sustainable and clean cooking energy in Tanzania.