I see your point and you’re not wrong…but the electricity value is the easiest proxy for domestic energy production (OR proximity to energy production). If as a country you don’t have access to or produce electricity, you won’t develop industry, which elevates standard of living. Access to affordable, useable energy at scale relative to your population is critical…the countries in the bottom left don’t have that…the countries in the top right do.

I guess so… I mean, the chart literally has GDP on the independent axis so it’s really just the commentary that is the problem. The follow on from the assertion that rich countries use more energy is fundamentally more important though… why do they? Because humans are likely happier/healthier when they have access to abundant energy. Rich nations tend to have that access and poor nations don’t. I think people tend to think that, but then just want to equate being rich with being happy and so they explain the chart with inverted axes to oversimplify the interpretation.

While I agree with your general point, this specific reasoning is also flawed. People don't randomly consume energy, they only consume it for whatever they believe is valuable. One of those things are machines that produce stuff they need.