People not using improved drinking water sources in Liberia
Liberia: People not using improved drinking water sources was 698,874 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Liberia, 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 Liberia stood at 698,874 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 28.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Liberia peaked at 1.03 million people in 2008 and was at its lowest, 698,874 people, in 2024.
Liberia ranks 64th 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 Liberia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 1.01 million people | — |
| 2001 | 1.01 million people | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.01 million people | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 986,419 people | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 968,449 people | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 981,666 people | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 1.01 million people | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 1.02 million people | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 1.03 million people | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 1.03 million people | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.02 million people | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 1.02 million people | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.02 million people | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 998,636 people | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 977,865 people | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 955,711 people | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 932,152 people | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 906,473 people | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 879,697 people | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 851,908 people | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 823,609 people | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 794,243 people | -3.6% |
| 2022 | 763,744 people | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 732,227 people | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 698,874 people | -4.6% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 698,874 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.67 million people, 26% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 698,874 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 35% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.00 million people | 968,449 people | 1.03 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 955,884 people | 851,908 people | 1.02 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 762,539 people | 698,874 people | 823,609 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More environment data for Liberia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.21 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.28 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.221 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.42 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.07 % 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 0.261 % 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 Liberia?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Liberia was 698,874 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.03 million people in 2008.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 698,874 people in 2024.
- How does Liberia rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Liberia ranks 64th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Liberia 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.