People not using improved drinking water sources in Namibia
Namibia: People not using improved drinking water sources was 197,887 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using improved drinking water sources in Namibia, 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
Namibia recorded 197,887 people for people not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Namibia peaked at 297,513 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 197,887 people, in 2024.
Namibia ranks 83rd 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 Namibia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 297,513 people | — |
| 2001 | 296,235 people | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 292,496 people | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 287,471 people | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 281,864 people | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 276,128 people | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 270,388 people | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 264,725 people | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 259,167 people | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 253,738 people | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 248,422 people | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 243,448 people | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 239,507 people | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 236,327 people | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 233,021 people | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 229,667 people | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 226,336 people | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 223,027 people | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 219,733 people | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 216,432 people | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 213,308 people | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 210,208 people | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 206,681 people | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 202,567 people | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 197,887 people | -2.3% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 197,887 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 22% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 197,887 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 10% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 277,972 people | 253,738 people | 297,513 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 231,592 people | 216,432 people | 248,422 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 206,130 people | 197,887 people | 213,308 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 80 Dominican Republic 239,094 people compare
- 81 Iran 234,152 people compare
- 82 Kyrgyzstan 201,464 people compare
- 84 Gambia 192,819 people compare
- 85 Solomon Islands 182,166 people compare
- 86 Chile 180,633 people compare
More environment data for Namibia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.99 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.14 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.319 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.979 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.32 % 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 4.07 % 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 Namibia?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Namibia was 197,887 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 297,513 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 197,887 people in 2024.
- How does Namibia rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Namibia ranks 83rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Namibia 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.