Drinking water usage in urban areas in Malaysia
Malaysia: Drinking water usage in urban areas was 25,346 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 25,346 people for drinking water usage in urban areas in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water usage in urban areas in Malaysia peaked at 25,346 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 12,811 people, in 2000.
Malaysia ranks 38th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 12,811 people | — |
| 2001 | 13,323 people | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 13,852 people | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 14,389 people | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 14,933 people | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 15,485 people | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 16,045 people | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 16,610 people | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 17,177 people | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 17,738 people | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 18,288 people | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 18,794 people | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 19,295 people | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 19,806 people | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 20,327 people | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 20,861 people | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 21,412 people | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 21,970 people | +2.6% |
| 2018 | 22,522 people | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 23,056 people | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 23,534 people | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 23,972 people | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 24,423 people | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 24,885 people | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 25,346 people | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15,236 people | 12,811 people | 17,738 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 20,633 people | 18,288 people | 23,056 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,432 people | 23,534 people | 25,346 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More environment data for Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % 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 Malaysia?
- Drinking water usage in urban areas in Malaysia was 25,346 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 25,346 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water usage in urban areas recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 12,811 people in 2000.
- How does Malaysia rank for drinking water usage in urban areas?
- Malaysia ranks 38th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water usage in urban areas rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.