People not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador
Ecuador: People not using improved drinking water sources was 732,671 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador, 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
In 2024, people not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador stood at 732,671 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador peaked at 1.93 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 732,671 people, in 2024.
That places Ecuador 63rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.93 million people | — |
| 2001 | 1.89 million people | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 1.86 million people | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 1.82 million people | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 1.78 million people | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 1.75 million people | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 1.71 million people | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 1.66 million people | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 1.62 million people | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 1.57 million people | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 1.52 million people | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 1.47 million people | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 1.42 million people | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 1.37 million people | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 1.31 million people | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 1.25 million people | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 1.19 million people | -4.9% |
| 2017 | 1.12 million people | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 1.06 million people | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 995,347 people | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 922,148 people | -7.4% |
| 2021 | 857,167 people | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 815,817 people | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 774,562 people | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 732,671 people | -5.4% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 732,671 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 61,603 people, 11.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 732,671 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 4,163 people, 176.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.76 million people | 1.57 million people | 1.93 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.27 million people | 995,347 people | 1.52 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 820,473 people | 732,671 people | 922,148 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More environment data for Ecuador
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.3767 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.4 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.49 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.65 % 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 -1.14 % 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 people not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Ecuador was 732,671 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 not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 1.93 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 732,671 people in 2024.
- How does Ecuador rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Ecuador ranks 63rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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 not using improved drinking water sources. 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 not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.