Drinking water service usage in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Drinking water service usage was 46.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water service usage in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka stood at 46.9%.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Sri Lanka peaked at 48.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 45.2%, in 2000.
Sri Lanka ranks 126th of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.7% | 45.2% | 46.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.4% | 46.6% | 48.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.2% | 46.8% | 47.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 37.17 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.7 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 5.57 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.6851 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0046 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0737 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 11.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0059 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0632 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 4.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in Sri Lanka?
- Drinking water service usage in Sri Lanka was 46.9% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 48.1% in 2018.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.2% in 2000.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for drinking water service usage?
- Sri Lanka ranks 126th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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 faecal and priority chemical contamination.