Drinking water usage in urban areas by country

Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.

Countries reporting
185
Highest
1.30 million people
China
Lowest
0 people
Saint Barthelemy
Median
0 people
Years covered
25
2000–2024
Data points
4,613

What the numbers show

Drinking water usage in urban areas is currently reported for 185 countries. The highest value is 1.30 million people in China; the lowest is 0 people in Saint Barthelemy.

The median across all reporting countries is 0 people, and the mean is 48,793 people.

Over the past decade 42 countries rose and 79 fell. The largest increase was in Congo (up 263.3%), and the largest decrease in Afghanistan (down 100.0%).

Drinking water usage in urban areas: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 China 1.30 million people 2024 down 33.1% falling
2 Kenya 867,884 people 2024 up 69.7% rising
3 India 858,136 people 2024 down 7.3% flat
4 Nigeria 578,953 people 2024 down 77.9% falling
5 Tanzania 522,756 people 2024 up 45.2% rising
6 Myanmar 452,585 people 2024 down 21.7% falling
7 Democratic Republic of Congo 448,001 people 2024 down 19.7% falling
8 Ethiopia 381,373 people 2024 down 19.2% flat
9 Algeria 311,575 people 2024 up 26.0% rising
10 Pakistan 311,248 people 2024 up 12.4% rising
11 Cote d'Ivoire 251,543 people 2024 up 82.2% rising
12 Cameroon 242,576 people 2024 up 81.0% rising
13 Russia 218,818 people 2024 up 2.1% flat
14 Ukraine 200,180 people 2024 up 99.4% volatile
15 Mozambique 174,929 people 2024 down 31.1% falling
16 Angola 170,115 people 2024 down 76.4% falling
17 Uganda 169,079 people 2024 up 60.7% rising
18 Bangladesh 154,994 people 2024 down 26.9% falling
19 Sudan 147,896 people 2024 down 27.3% falling
20 Somalia 108,049 people 2024 up 42.0% rising
21 Indonesia 97,336 people 2024 down 74.9% falling
22 Turkey 86,194 people 2024 up 40.5% rising
23 Madagascar 79,365 people 2024 down 84.2% falling
24 Tajikistan 78,996 people 2024 down 1.3% falling
25 South Sudan 71,509 people 2024 down 66.9% falling
26 Benin 61,850 people 2024 down 51.7% falling
27 Papua New Guinea 57,751 people 2024 up 22.8% rising
28 Rwanda 57,272 people 2024 down 18.8% falling
29 Argentina 50,159 people 2024 up 7.3% rising
30 Zambia 48,160 people 2024 down 33.7% falling
31 Sierra Leone 41,709 people 2024 down 64.8% falling
32 Chad 35,308 people 2024 up 52.4% rising
33 Nepal 33,657 people 2024 down 29.1% falling
34 Bolivia 31,870 people 2024 up 1.1% rising
35 Chile 31,242 people 2024 up 38.1% rising
36 Cambodia 27,080 people 2024 down 82.7% falling
37 Guatemala 25,569 people 2024 up 22.7% rising
38 Malaysia 25,346 people 2024 up 24.7% rising
39 South Africa 23,480 people 2024 down 25.1% falling
40 Niger 22,670 people 2024 up 91.7% rising
41 Peru 18,108 people 2024 down 79.8% falling
42 Uzbekistan 18,029 people 2024 down 86.6% falling
43 Burkina Faso 16,882 people 2024 up 56.8% rising
44 Haiti 12,472 people 2024 down 85.4% falling
45 Malawi 10,198 people 2024 down 10.3% flat
46 Guinea 10,146 people 2024 down 39.6% falling
47 Dominican Republic 9,344 people 2024 down 4.3% rising
48 Namibia 8,554 people 2024 up 134.6% volatile
49 Togo 8,477 people 2024 down 58.5% falling
50 Gabon 6,699 people 2024 down 69.6% falling
51 Jordan 6,574 people 2024 up 34.6% rising
52 Eritrea 6,369 people 2016 up 63.4% rising
53 Czechia 5,116 people 2024 up 4.0% rising
54 Liberia 4,591 people 2024 down 84.8% falling
55 Tunisia 4,511 people 2024 up 228.7% volatile
56 Iran 4,069 people 2024 up 19.9% volatile
57 Equatorial Guinea 3,410 people 2017 down 87.1% volatile
58 Lesotho 3,071 people 2024 up 71.5% rising
59 Botswana 2,188 people 2024 up 18.1% rising
60 Eswatini 1,871 people 2024 down 69.1% falling
61 Cuba 1,381 people 2024 down 77.9% volatile
62 Central African Republic 1,337 people 2024 down 79.5% volatile
63 Guinea-Bissau 1,315 people 2024 down 38.1% falling
64 Solomon Islands 1,125 people 2024 down 7.1% flat
65 Dominica 1,017 people 2024 down 0.4% flat
66 Armenia 1,006 people 2024 up 52.3% rising
67 Gambia 973.14 people 2024 up 103.9% volatile
68 Comoros 870.74 people 2024 up 16.3% rising
69 Jamaica 809.72 people 2024 down 70.7% falling
70 Fiji 705.91 people 2024 down 14.5% falling
71 Syria 581.5 people 2024 up 37.2% rising
72 Egypt 552.63 people 2024 up 28.4% rising
73 Congo 360.07 people 2021 up 263.3% volatile
74 Cyprus 302.1 people 2024 up 13.1% rising
75 Djibouti 276 people 2024 down 80.6% falling
76 Saudi Arabia 205.23 people 2024 up 20.2% rising
77 Vanuatu 205.13 people 2024 up 47.0% rising
78 Georgia 189.05 people 2024 up 130.4% volatile
79 Trinidad and Tobago 189.04 people 2024 down 57.1% falling
80 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 143.69 people 2018 up 2.4% rising
81 Antigua and Barbuda 44.38 people 2024 up 2.1% falling
82 Suriname 16.03 people 2024 up 79.9% volatile
83 Cayman Islands 7.45 people 2024 up 23.8% rising
84 Afghanistan 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Albania 0 people 2024 flat
84 Andorra 0 people 2024 flat
84 United Arab Emirates 0 people 2024 flat
84 Australia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Austria 0 people 2024 flat
84 Azerbaijan 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Burundi 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Belgium 0 people 2024 flat
84 Bulgaria 0 people 2024 flat
84 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0 people 2024 volatile
84 Belarus 0 people 2024 flat
84 Belize 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Bermuda 0 people 2024 flat
84 Brazil 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Bhutan 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Canada 0 people 2024 flat
84 Switzerland 0 people 2024 flat
84 Colombia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Cape Verde 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Costa Rica 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Germany 0 people 2024 flat
84 Denmark 0 people 2024 flat
84 Ecuador 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Spain 0 people 2024 flat
84 Estonia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Finland 0 people 2024 flat
84 France 0 people 2024 flat
84 United Kingdom 0 people 2024 flat
84 Ghana 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Gibraltar 0 people 2024 flat
84 Greece 0 people 2024 flat
84 Guyana 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Hong Kong 0 people 2024 flat
84 Honduras 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Croatia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Hungary 0 people 2024 flat
84 Iraq 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Iceland 0 people 2024 flat
84 Israel 0 people 2024 flat
84 Kazakhstan 0 people 2024 volatile
84 Kyrgyzstan 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Kiribati 0 people 2024 flat
84 Kuwait 0 people 2024 flat
84 Laos 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Saint Lucia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Sri Lanka 0 people 2024 flat
84 Lithuania 0 people 2024 flat
84 Latvia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Macao 0 people 2024 flat
84 Saint Martin (French part) 0 people 2024 flat
84 Morocco 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Monaco 0 people 2024 flat
84 Moldova 0 people 2024 flat
84 Maldives 0 people 2024 flat
84 Mexico 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Marshall Islands 0 people 2024 flat
84 North Macedonia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Mali 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Montenegro 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Mongolia 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Mauritania 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Mauritius 0 people 2024 down 100.0% rising
84 Netherlands 0 people 2024 flat
84 Norway 0 people 2024 flat
84 Nauru 0 people 2024 flat
84 New Zealand 0 people 2024 flat
84 Oman 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Panama 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Philippines 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Palau 0 people 2024 flat
84 Poland 0 people 2024 flat
84 North Korea 0 people 2023 flat
84 Portugal 0 people 2024 flat
84 Paraguay 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Palestine 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Romania 0 people 2024 flat
84 Senegal 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Singapore 0 people 2024 flat
84 El Salvador 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 San Marino 0 people 2024 flat
84 Serbia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Sao Tome and Principe 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Slovakia 0 people 2024 flat
84 Sweden 0 people 2024 flat
84 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 0 people 2017 flat
84 Turks and Caicos Islands 0 people 2024 flat
84 Thailand 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Turkmenistan 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 East Timor 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Tonga 0 people 2024 flat
84 Tuvalu 0 people 2024 flat
84 Uruguay 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 United States 0 people 2024 flat
84 Vietnam 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Samoa 0 people 2024 down 100.0% falling
84 Yemen 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Zimbabwe 0 people 2024 down 100.0% volatile
84 Anguilla 0 people 2017 flat
84 Cook Islands 0 people 2024 flat
84 Falkland Islands 0 people 2024 flat
84 Saint Barthelemy 0 people 2024 flat

About this data

Indicator
Drinking water usage in urban areas
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
188 places, 4,613 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Number of people using drinking water directly collected from surface waters.