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Hormuz Crisis Disrupts LPG Supplies, Threatens Clean Cooking Progress, IEA Says

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The disruption in LPG supplies through the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a major cooking fuel crisis across Asia and raised fears of setbacks to clean cooking gains in Africa, the International Energy Agency said.

Developing Asia is the world's largest consumer of LPG for cooking, with nearly 2.4 billion people relying on the fuel.

India and Indonesia alone have shifted more than 800 million people away from wood, charcoal and kerosene since 2010 through large-scale clean cooking campaigns. At present, LPG is used by 90% of households in Indonesia and 80% in India.

But both countries depend heavily on imports from the Middle East. In 2025, roughly two-thirds of India's LPG imports passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Shipping disruptions linked to escalating conflict in the Middle East caused LPG exports through the strait to plunge by about 80% in March 2026, falling from an average 1.5 million barrels per day in 2025 to just 300,000 b/d, according to the IEA.

India has been among the hardest hit. LPG imports fell by more than half in the first two months of the crisis, cutting supplies by around 430,000 b/d. Authorities ordered domestic refineries to maximize production, adding an estimated 180,000 b/d, while introducing emergency measures to protect household cooking supplies.

However, India's limited storage capacity, enough for just over 10 days of consumption, has left consumers exposed to shortages and rising prices. Commercial users have struggled to secure fuel, while reports indicate some urban residents have returned to rural areas where wood and charcoal are more accessible.

The crisis has also sent LPG prices sharply higher worldwide. Import prices in India and East Africa rose as much as 90% above 2025 averages in March, while West African prices climbed 70%, despite the region sourcing little LPG directly from Gulf exporters.

The IEA warned that soaring prices could reverse progress toward clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa, where many low-income households may revert to charcoal or firewood. Nearly half of LPG users in the region are now spending a significantly larger share of their income on cooking fuel, the agency estimated.

Governments have responded with subsidies, price caps and incentives for electric cooking alternatives as concerns grow over long-term fuel security.

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