People not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya
Kenya: People not using improved drinking water sources was 14.46 million people in 2024. ▬ Flat
People not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya, 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 not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya is 14.46 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya peaked at 15.99 million people in 2012 and was at its lowest, 14.46 million people, in 2024.
That places Kenya 7th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.68 million people | — |
| 2001 | 14.84 million people | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 15.00 million people | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 15.14 million people | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 15.28 million people | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 15.41 million people | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 15.53 million people | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 15.65 million people | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 15.76 million people | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 15.86 million people | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 15.93 million people | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 15.98 million people | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 15.99 million people | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 15.97 million people | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 15.93 million people | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 15.85 million people | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 15.77 million people | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 15.67 million people | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 15.53 million people | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 15.38 million people | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 15.22 million people | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 15.04 million people | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 14.85 million people | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 14.66 million people | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 14.46 million people | -1.4% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 14.46 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 15.8× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 14.46 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 7.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.31 million people | 14.68 million people | 15.86 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.80 million people | 15.38 million people | 15.99 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.85 million people | 14.46 million people | 15.22 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 Kenya?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Kenya was 14.46 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 15.99 million people in 2012.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.46 million people in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Kenya ranks 7th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Kenya 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.