Only four out of ten people have access to reliable electric power supply in Africa, whereas more Africans live today nearby electric grid than a decade ago, a latest survey has showed.

The survey by pan-African research network, Afrobarometer, was conducted in 36 countries on the continent between 2014 and 2015, and is reached by Xinhua Saturday in Cotonou.

It reveals that a majority of Africans still live in darkness intermittently or continuously, more than hundred years after the invention of electric light bulb.

"Over 36 countries, in average 66 percent of Africans live in electric grid served areas, representing six percentage point increase since the year 2005," says the survey.

"But this ratio varies considerably across the continent, going from 17 percent in Burundi and 25 percent in Burkina Faso to 100 percent in Mauritius and Egypt," it adds.

According to the survey, only six Africans out of ten are really connected to electricity grid.

This varies from less than 11 percent in Burundi, 12 percent in Malawi and 14 percent in Burkina Faso to universal coverage in Mauritius and Tunisia, it finds.

"Out of those connected to electricity grid, 69 percent have reliable energy supply whereas about one third of the connections roughly work half of the time", the survey says.

It further reveals that in Nigeria, 96 percent of the populations are connected to electricity grid, but only 18 percent of the connections work most of the time or all the time.