People using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria
Nigeria: People using improved drinking water sources was 23.34 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria, 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
Nigeria recorded 23.34 million people for people using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria peaked at 30.84 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.34 million people, in 2024.
That places Nigeria 3rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30.84 million people | — |
| 2001 | 29.97 million people | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 30.04 million people | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 30.10 million people | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 30.14 million people | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 30.15 million people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 30.14 million people | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 30.11 million people | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 30.05 million people | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 29.96 million people | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 29.85 million people | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 29.71 million people | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 29.54 million people | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 29.31 million people | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 29.04 million people | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 28.70 million people | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 28.31 million people | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 27.87 million people | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 27.37 million people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 26.80 million people | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 26.19 million people | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 25.53 million people | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 24.83 million people | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 24.11 million people | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 23.34 million people | -3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.15 million people | 29.96 million people | 30.84 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.65 million people | 26.80 million people | 29.85 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.80 million people | 23.34 million people | 26.19 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Production, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Production, per capita 0.0086 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Import quantity, annual growth rate -66.89 % change on previous year (2023)
- Sawnwood, non-coniferous — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria?
- People using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria was 23.34 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 30.84 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people using improved drinking water sources recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.34 million people in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for people using improved drinking water sources?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.