People not using improved drinking water sources in Myanmar
Myanmar: People not using improved drinking water sources was 7.41 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Myanmar, 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
Myanmar recorded 7.41 million people for people not using improved drinking water sources in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Myanmar peaked at 15.55 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.33 million people, in 2021.
Myanmar ranks 14th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.55 million people | — |
| 2001 | 15.26 million people | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 14.95 million people | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 14.63 million people | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 14.29 million people | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 13.93 million people | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 13.56 million people | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 13.19 million people | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 12.78 million people | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 12.38 million people | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 11.99 million people | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 11.60 million people | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 11.21 million people | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 10.82 million people | -3.5% |
| 2014 | 10.42 million people | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 10.00 million people | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 9.58 million people | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 9.15 million people | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 8.71 million people | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 8.26 million people | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 7.80 million people | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 7.33 million people | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 7.36 million people | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 7.38 million people | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 7.41 million people | +0.3% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 7.41 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 8.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 7.41 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8,111 people, 913.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.05 million people | 12.38 million people | 15.55 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.17 million people | 8.26 million people | 11.99 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.46 million people | 7.33 million people | 7.80 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % 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 Myanmar?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Myanmar was 7.41 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 15.55 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.33 million people in 2021.
- How does Myanmar rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Myanmar ranks 14th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.