Drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia
Liberia: Drinking water usage in urban areas was 4,591 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia, 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 usage in urban areas in Liberia is 4,591 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 42.2% on the previous year and down 84.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia peaked at 38,990 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4,591 people, in 2024.
Liberia ranks 54th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38,990 people | — |
| 2001 | 38,860 people | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 38,535 people | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 37,458 people | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 36,480 people | -2.6% |
| 2005 | 36,627 people | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 37,098 people | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 37,245 people | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 36,936 people | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 36,181 people | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 35,226 people | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 34,508 people | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 33,514 people | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 31,940 people | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 30,206 people | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 28,341 people | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 26,338 people | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 24,170 people | -8.2% |
| 2018 | 21,862 people | -9.5% |
| 2019 | 19,408 people | -11.2% |
| 2020 | 16,809 people | -13.4% |
| 2021 | 14,041 people | -16.5% |
| 2022 | 11,090 people | -21.0% |
| 2023 | 7,948 people | -28.3% |
| 2024 | 4,591 people | -42.2% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 4,591 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 16,882 people, 27% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 4,591 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,146 people, 45% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -42.2% | 7,948 people | 4,591 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37,441 people | 36,181 people | 38,990 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 28,551 people | 19,408 people | 35,226 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,896 people | 4,591 people | 16,809 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More environment data for Liberia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.21 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.28 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.221 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.42 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.07 % 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 0.261 % 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 usage in urban areas in Liberia?
- Drinking water usage in urban areas in Liberia was 4,591 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 usage in urban areas recorded in Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 38,990 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest drinking water usage in urban areas recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,591 people in 2024.
- How does Liberia rank for drinking water usage in urban areas?
- Liberia ranks 54th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water usage in urban areas rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 84.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Liberia 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 usage in urban areas. 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.