Drinking water services in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Drinking water services was 9,562 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water services in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for drinking water services in Saudi Arabia is 9,562 people, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water services in Saudi Arabia peaked at 9,655 people in 2016 and was at its lowest, 6,149 people, in 2000.
Saudi Arabia ranks 87th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water services in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6,149 people | — |
| 2001 | 6,405 people | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 6,656 people | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 6,903 people | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 7,146 people | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 7,384 people | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 7,617 people | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 7,848 people | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 8,075 people | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 8,300 people | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 8,520 people | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 8,736 people | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 8,947 people | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 9,152 people | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 9,351 people | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 9,544 people | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 9,655 people | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 9,549 people | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 9,295 people | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 9,204 people | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 9,233 people | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 9,205 people | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 9,322 people | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 9,502 people | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 9,562 people | +0.6% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 9,562 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 2,997 people, 3.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7,248 people | 6,149 people | 8,300 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,195 people | 8,520 people | 9,655 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,365 people | 9,205 people | 9,562 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 services in Saudi Arabia?
- Drinking water services in Saudi Arabia was 9,562 people 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 services recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 9,655 people in 2016.
- What is the lowest drinking water services recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,149 people in 2000.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for drinking water services?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 87th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water services rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 services. 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
Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.