What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Cameroon and Zambia?

259,290 people, with Zambia ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Zambia?

25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.

Where does this data come from?

WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Cameroon vs Zambia: People using improved drinking water sources

Cameroon

2.72 million people

in 2024

Zambia

2.98 million people

in 2024

Cameroon rank

25th

Zambia rank

22nd

People using improved drinking water sources over time

Cameroon
Zambia

How they compare

Zambia currently reports 2.98 million people against 2.72 million people in Cameroon, a difference of 259,290 people.

That makes Zambia's figure about 1.1 times Cameroon's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Cameroon ahead.

Cameroon ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 22nd of 231 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Cameroon averaged higher in 2 and Zambia in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Cameroon	Zambia	Difference	Ahead
2000s	3.95 million people	3.23 million people	721,408 people	Cameroon
2010s	3.52 million people	3.30 million people	212,991 people	Cameroon
2020s	2.93 million people	3.08 million people	155,574 people	Zambia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher people using improved drinking water sources, Cameroon or Zambia?: Zambia, at 2.98 million people against 2.72 million people in Cameroon as of 2024.
What is the difference in people using improved drinking water sources between Cameroon and Zambia?: 259,290 people, with Zambia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Zambia?: 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Cameroon and Zambia rank globally for people using improved drinking water sources?: Cameroon ranks 25th and Zambia ranks 22nd of 231 countries.
Where does this data come from?: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Cameroon vs Zambia: People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/cameroon/zambia/

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<a href="https://environment.statizoid.com/compare/number-of-people-in-the-world-with-and-without-access-to-improved-water-sources/cameroon/zambia/">Cameroon vs Zambia: People using improved drinking water sources</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: People using improved drinking water sources
Unit: people
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Number of people using only unimproved drinking water sources.