The emerging world will push global energy demand 30 percent higher by 2040, according to ExxonMobil’s Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040. The report contains some interesting projections on what may be in store for the energy sector in the coming decades.

The global population is expected to reach a staggering 9 billion over the same period, but it isn’t population growth that will drive the increase in energy demand. Instead, rising affluence and higher living standards in regions such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and India will be the biggest factors. ExxonMobil says this is due to “the human desire to sustain and improve the well-being of ourselves, our families and our communities.”

This new affluent class of people is expected to fuel a dramatic increase in the number of households around the world—rising 50 percent to 2.8 billion by 2040. ExxonMobil says growth will be particularly strong in Africa, China, India and Latin America. These areas will account for about 60 percent of all households in the world by the end of the forecast. Additionally, the number of personal vehicles is expected to double to 1.6 billion vehicles worldwide.

Hoseholds by region in 2040

Today, roughly 1.3 billion people, one-fifth of the world’s population, lacks access to electricity and these new households will need energy for lighting, heating, cooking, hot water, air conditioning and refrigeration, ExxonMobil says. Filling this gap will lead electricity generation

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