Canada vs United States: Share using safely managed drinking water
Canada
96.9%
in 2024
United States
97.6%
in 2024
Canada rank
45th
United States rank
43rd
Share using safely managed drinking water over time
- Canada
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 97.6% against 96.9% in Canada, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 20 shared years of data; in 2005 it was Canada ahead.
Canada ranks 45th and United States ranks 43rd of 163 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 2 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Canada | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 98.7% | 95.4% | 3.3% | Canada |
| 2010s | 97.9% | 96.3% | 1.6% | Canada |
| 2020s | 97.0% | 97.4% | 0.4% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share using safely managed drinking water, Canada or United States?
- United States, at 97.6% against 96.9% in Canada as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share using safely managed drinking water between Canada and United States?
- 0.7%, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and United States?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2024.
- How do Canada and United States rank globally for share using safely managed drinking water?
- Canada ranks 45th and United States ranks 43rd of 163 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 using safely managed drinking water. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.