Drinking water service usage in Nepal
Nepal: Drinking water service usage was 16.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Drinking water service usage in Nepal, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drinking water service usage in Nepal is 16.5%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 38.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Nepal peaked at 29.8% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 2021.
That places Nepal 156th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water service usage in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 26.8% | — |
| 2001 | 27.1% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 27.6% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 27.8% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 28.1% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 28.6% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 28.8% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 29.1% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 29.3% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 29.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 29.8% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 28.4% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 26.9% | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 25.5% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 24.0% | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 22.4% | -6.4% |
| 2018 | 20.9% | -6.9% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 17.7% | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 16.1% | -9.2% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 16.3% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 16.5% | +0.8% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 16.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.9%, 38% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 16.5% is below the median for South Asia, which is 59.1%, 28% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.0% | 26.8% | 29.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.6% | 19.3% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 16.1% | 17.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More environment data for Nepal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.54 % 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 -6.53 % 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 Nepal?
- Drinking water service usage in Nepal was 16.5% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 29.8% in 2012.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 2021.
- How does Nepal rank for drinking water service usage?
- Nepal ranks 156th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nepal 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.