Malawi vs Zambia: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source
Malawi
73.1%
in 2024
Zambia
73.4%
in 2024
Malawi rank
205th
Zambia rank
203rd
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source over time
- Malawi
- Zambia
How they compare
Zambia currently reports 73.4% against 73.1% in Malawi, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Malawi ahead.
Malawi ranks 205th and Zambia ranks 203rd 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 | 57.7% | 51.6% | 6.1% | Malawi |
| 2010s | 65.6% | 63.1% | 2.4% | Malawi |
| 2020s | 71.4% | 71.3% | 0.2% | Malawi |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population using at least a basic drinking water source, Malawi or Zambia?
- Zambia, at 73.4% against 73.1% in Malawi as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of population using at least a basic drinking water source between Malawi and Zambia?
- 0.3%, with Zambia 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Malawi ranks 205th and Zambia ranks 203rd 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 Share of population 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
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.