Drinking water service usage in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Drinking water service usage was 99.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Drinking water service usage in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom is 99.8%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in United Kingdom peaked at 100.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 99.8%, in 2024.
That places United Kingdom 19th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 99.9% | 99.9% | 99.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.8% | 99.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 386.7 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.58 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 31.55 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7351 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.078 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 58.88 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.3113 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1931 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 22.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is drinking water service usage in United Kingdom?
- Drinking water service usage in United Kingdom was 99.8% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 99.8% in 2024.
- How does United Kingdom rank for drinking water service usage?
- United Kingdom ranks 19th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.