Drinking water service usage in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Drinking water service usage was 30.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Afghanistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, drinking water service usage in Afghanistan stood at 30.6%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 35.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Afghanistan peaked at 30.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2000.
That places Afghanistan 140th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.5% | — |
| 2001 | 11.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 12.3% | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 13.9% | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 14.7% | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 16.7% | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 17.6% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 18.4% | +4.8% |
| 2010 | 19.2% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 20.1% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 20.9% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 21.7% | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 22.6% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 23.4% | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 24.2% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 25.9% | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 26.7% | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 27.6% | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 28.4% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 29.2% | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 29.9% | +2.3% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +2.2% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 30.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 18.2%, 1.7× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 30.6% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 84.8%, 36% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.5% | 11.5% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 19.2% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.1% | 27.6% | 30.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More environment data for Afghanistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -19.95 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -17.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.547 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.85 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.7636 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Afghanistan?
- Drinking water service usage in Afghanistan was 30.6% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest drinking water service usage recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2000.
- How does Afghanistan rank for drinking water service usage?
- Afghanistan ranks 140th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Drinking water service usage. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.