People using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: People using improved drinking water sources was 3.77 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan, 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 people using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan is 3.77 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 8.8% on the previous year and down 51.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan peaked at 9.13 million people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3.77 million people, in 2024.
Afghanistan ranks 19th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.69 million people | — |
| 2001 | 8.75 million people | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 8.90 million people | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 9.13 million people | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 9.10 million people | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 9.06 million people | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 9.05 million people | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 8.83 million people | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 8.62 million people | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 8.53 million people | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 8.35 million people | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 8.22 million people | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 8.09 million people | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 7.89 million people | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 7.69 million people | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 7.42 million people | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 7.08 million people | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 6.74 million people | -4.8% |
| 2018 | 6.38 million people | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 5.99 million people | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 5.59 million people | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 5.11 million people | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 4.54 million people | -11.2% |
| 2023 | 4.13 million people | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 3.77 million people | -8.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.87 million people | 8.53 million people | 9.13 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.39 million people | 5.99 million people | 8.35 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.63 million people | 3.77 million people | 5.59 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 16 Côte d'Ivoire 4.10 million people compare
- 17 Poland 3.81 million people compare
- 18 Kenya 3.77 million people compare
- 20 Russian Federation 3.61 million people compare
- 21 Papua New Guinea 3.23 million people compare
- 22 Zambia 2.98 million people compare
More environment data for Afghanistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -19.95 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -17.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.547 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.96 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per capita 0 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, annual growth rate 369.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per capita 0 1000 USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan?
- People using improved drinking water sources in Afghanistan was 3.77 million 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 people using improved drinking water sources recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 9.13 million people in 2003.
- What is the lowest people using improved drinking water sources recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.77 million people in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for people using improved drinking water sources?
- Afghanistan ranks 19th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 People using improved drinking water sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of people using only unimproved drinking water sources.