People not using improved drinking water sources in India
India: People not using improved drinking water sources was 28.01 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in India, 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 India stood at 28.01 million people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 20.7% on the previous year and down 71.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in India peaked at 165.97 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 28.01 million people, in 2024.
That places India 4th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 147.43 million people | 126.06 million people | 165.97 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.31 million people | 64.01 million people | 120.65 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.54 million people | 28.01 million people | 56.98 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 4,371 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 3.01 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 572.27 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 37.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 108.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 4.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 861.61 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 1.01 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 2.4 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 135.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people not using improved drinking water sources in India?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in India was 28.01 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 not using improved drinking water sources recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 165.97 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.01 million people in 2024.
- How does India rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- India ranks 4th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 71.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.