Drinking water service usage in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Drinking water service usage was 25.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Drinking water service usage in Zimbabwe, 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 Zimbabwe stood at 25.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water service usage in Zimbabwe peaked at 29.8% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 2024.
That places Zimbabwe 147th 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.4% | — |
| 2001 | 29.5% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 29.8% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 29.8% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 29.8% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 29.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 29.4% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 29.2% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 28.9% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 28.7% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 28.2% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 28.0% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 27.7% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 27.5% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 27.0% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 26.8% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 26.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 26.4% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 26.2% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 26.0% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 25.8% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 25.6% | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 25.5% | -0.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 25.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 42.9%, 59% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 25.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.4%, 93% of the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.4% | 28.7% | 29.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 26.4% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.8% | 25.5% | 26.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
- 144 Tonga 29.6% compare
- 145 Mozambique 27.5% compare
- 146 Senegal 27.2% compare
- 148 Guinea-Bissau 24.0% compare
- 149 Madagascar 22.1% compare
- 150 Togo 20.5% compare
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.06 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.19 % 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 1.53 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- Drinking water service usage in Zimbabwe was 25.5% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 29.8% in 2004.
- What is the lowest drinking water service usage recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 2024.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for drinking water service usage?
- Zimbabwe ranks 147th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water service usage rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.