People not using improved drinking water sources in Malawi
Malawi: People not using improved drinking water sources was 1.26 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 1.26 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 13.0% on the previous year and down 53.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Malawi peaked at 3.58 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.26 million people, in 2024.
Malawi ranks 52nd of 231 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.58 million people | — |
| 2001 | 3.55 million people | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 3.50 million people | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 3.46 million people | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 3.41 million people | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 3.36 million people | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 3.31 million people | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 3.26 million people | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 3.21 million people | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 3.15 million people | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 3.08 million people | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 3.00 million people | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 2.92 million people | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 2.83 million people | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 2.73 million people | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 2.62 million people | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 2.51 million people | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 2.38 million people | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 2.25 million people | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 2.11 million people | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 1.95 million people | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 1.79 million people | -8.2% |
| 2022 | 1.62 million people | -9.5% |
| 2023 | 1.45 million people | -11.0% |
| 2024 | 1.26 million people | -13.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 1.26 million people is below the median for low income countries, which is 2.67 million people, 47% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 1.26 million people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 63% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.38 million people | 3.15 million people | 3.58 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.64 million people | 2.11 million people | 3.08 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.61 million people | 1.26 million people | 1.95 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Malawi was 1.26 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 3.58 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.26 million people in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Malawi ranks 52nd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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.