Malawi vs Zambia: People using at least a basic drinking water source
Malawi
15.82 million people
in 2024
Zambia
15.65 million people
in 2024
Malawi rank
66th
Zambia rank
67th
People using at least a basic drinking water source over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Malawi currently reports 15.82 million people against 15.65 million people in Zambia, a difference of 172,300 people.
Across all 25 years both countries report, Malawi has been ahead every year.
Malawi ranks 66th and Zambia ranks 67th of 231 countries.
Malawi has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malawi | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.38 million people | 6.03 million people | 1.34 million people | Malawi |
| 2010s | 11.10 million people | 10.27 million people | 835,130 people | Malawi |
| 2020s | 14.71 million people | 14.39 million people | 320,340 people | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher people using at least a basic drinking water source, Malawi or Zambia?
- Malawi, at 15.82 million people against 15.65 million people in Zambia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in people using at least a basic drinking water source between Malawi and Zambia?
- 172,300 people, with Malawi ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and Zambia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do Malawi and Zambia rank globally for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Malawi ranks 66th and Zambia ranks 67th 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 at least a basic drinking water source. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people using an improved drinking water source, which is either available on premises, or collection time is no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.