The objective of this article is to develop a typology of Colombian households without access to electricity based on structural demographic, economic and territorial factors that shape the likelihood and mode of electrification. The methodology used combines multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis to analyse data from the National Quality of Life Survey 2023. The findings reveal four statistically representative groups of households that demonstrate how electricity exclusion reflects historical population and development dynamics. The spatial distribution of the population, marked by low population density in outlying areas with high levels of poverty and high proportions of ethnic minority groups, constitutes a structural barrier to development. The patterns of human settlement that have resulted from historical processes of exclusion perpetuate vicious cycles of underdevelopment. Access to electricity can therefore serve as a catalyst for improving the health, education and income of marginalized populations.