Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in Kenya
Kenya: Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita was 74.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in Kenya, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Kenya is 74.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Kenya peaked at 74.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 52.1%, in 2000.
That places Kenya 223rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 52.1% | — |
| 2001 | 53.1% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 54.0% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 55.0% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 56.0% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 56.9% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 57.9% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 58.9% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 59.8% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 60.8% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 61.7% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 62.6% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 64.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 65.4% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 66.3% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 67.2% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 68.2% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 69.1% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 70.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 70.9% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 71.7% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 72.6% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 73.5% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 74.4% | +1.2% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 74.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 92.0%, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 74.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 85.2%, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56.4% | 52.1% | 60.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.9% | 61.7% | 70.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.6% | 70.9% | 74.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 220 Guinea-Bissau 76.7% compare
- 221 Sierra Leone 75.6% compare
- 222 Mozambique 75.3% compare
- 224 Niger 70.2% compare
- 225 Eritrea 69.4% compare
- 226 Equatorial Guinea 67.6% compare
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Kenya?
- Using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita in Kenya was 74.4% 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 using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 74.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.1% in 2000.
- How does Kenya rank for using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita?
- Kenya ranks 223rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved drinking water sources vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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 Using improved drinking water sources vs. GDP per capita. 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
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.