People not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini

Eswatini: People not using improved drinking water sources was 168,104 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
168,104 people
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
88th
of 231 countries
All-time high
439,086 people
in 2000
All-time low
168,104 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini, 2000–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k2000201220242000: 439.1k people2001: 431.3k people2002: 422.8k people2003: 413.7k people2004: 404.0k people2005: 394.0k people2006: 383.6k people2007: 373.2k people2008: 361.9k people2009: 350.4k people2010: 338.6k people2011: 326.5k people2012: 314.6k people2013: 302.5k people2014: 290.4k people2015: 278.3k people2016: 266.0k people2017: 254.0k people2018: 242.2k people2019: 230.3k people2020: 218.4k people2021: 206.5k people2022: 194.0k people2023: 181.1k people2024: 168.1k people

Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Eswatini recorded 168,104 people for people not 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 7.2% on the previous year and down 42.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini peaked at 439,086 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 168,104 people, in 2024.

Eswatini ranks 88th of 231 countries on this measure, 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 Eswatini, year by year

Annual values for People not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini, 2000 to 2024.
Year people Change
2000 439,086 people
2001 431,334 people -1.8%
2002 422,825 people -2.0%
2003 413,661 people -2.2%
2004 404,007 people -2.3%
2005 393,953 people -2.5%
2006 383,579 people -2.6%
2007 373,172 people -2.7%
2008 361,898 people -3.0%
2009 350,381 people -3.2%
2010 338,560 people -3.4%
2011 326,528 people -3.6%
2012 314,580 people -3.7%
2013 302,542 people -3.8%
2014 290,435 people -4.0%
2015 278,258 people -4.2%
2016 265,976 people -4.4%
2017 253,988 people -4.5%
2018 242,232 people -4.6%
2019 230,279 people -4.9%
2020 218,437 people -5.1%
2021 206,485 people -5.5%
2022 193,984 people -6.1%
2023 181,116 people -6.6%
2024 168,104 people -7.2%

Eswatini compared with similar countries

  • Eswatini's 168,104 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 18% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Eswatini's 168,104 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 8% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 397,390 people 350,381 people 439,086 people 10
2010s 284,338 people 230,279 people 338,560 people 10
2020s 193,625 people 168,104 people 218,437 people 5

Countries ranked near Eswatini

  1. 85 Solomon Islands 182,166 people compare
  2. 86 Chile 180,633 people compare
  3. 87 Moldova 174,097 people compare
  4. 89 Tunisia 167,573 people compare
  5. 90 Ireland 152,499 people compare
  6. 91 Gabon 142,704 people compare

See the full ranking of 231 places →

More environment data for Eswatini

All data for Eswatini →

Frequently asked questions

What is people not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini?
People not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini was 168,104 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 Eswatini?
The highest recorded value was 439,086 people in 2000.
What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Eswatini?
The lowest recorded value was 168,104 people in 2024.
How does Eswatini rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
Eswatini ranks 88th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Eswatini?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eswatini 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.

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People not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini. Statizoid, drawing on WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/number-without-improved-water/eswatini/

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About this data

Indicator
People not using improved drinking water sources
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.