Drinking water usage in urban areas in Uganda
Uganda: Drinking water usage in urban areas was 169,079 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Uganda, 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 Uganda is 169,079 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and up 60.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, drinking water usage in urban areas in Uganda peaked at 169,079 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 53,179 people, in 2000.
That places Uganda 17th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Drinking water usage in urban areas in Uganda, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 53,179 people | — |
| 2001 | 55,955 people | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 58,910 people | +5.3% |
| 2003 | 62,027 people | +5.3% |
| 2004 | 65,197 people | +5.1% |
| 2005 | 68,459 people | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 71,873 people | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 75,447 people | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 79,189 people | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 83,090 people | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 87,170 people | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 91,418 people | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 95,828 people | +4.8% |
| 2013 | 100,380 people | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 105,219 people | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 110,397 people | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 116,077 people | +5.1% |
| 2017 | 122,213 people | +5.3% |
| 2018 | 128,499 people | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 135,060 people | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 141,815 people | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 148,676 people | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 155,487 people | +4.6% |
| 2023 | 162,210 people | +4.3% |
| 2024 | 169,079 people | +4.2% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 169,079 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 16,882 people, 10.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 169,079 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10,146 people, 16.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 67,333 people | 53,179 people | 83,090 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 109,226 people | 87,170 people | 135,060 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 155,453 people | 141,815 people | 169,079 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More environment data for Uganda
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -11.7 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -12.54 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.255 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.23 % 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 1.38 % 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 Uganda?
- Drinking water usage in urban areas in Uganda was 169,079 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 169,079 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest drinking water usage in urban areas recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 53,179 people in 2000.
- How does Uganda rank for drinking water usage in urban areas?
- Uganda ranks 17th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is drinking water usage in urban areas rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 60.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda 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.