People not using improved drinking water sources in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: People not using improved drinking water sources was 94,984 people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People not using improved drinking water sources in Saudi Arabia, 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 Saudi Arabia is 94,984 people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 16.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Saudi Arabia peaked at 94,984 people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45,971 people, in 2000.
That places Saudi Arabia 96th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 45,971 people | — |
| 2001 | 48,393 people | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 50,828 people | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 53,278 people | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 55,744 people | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 58,228 people | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 60,732 people | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 63,266 people | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 65,822 people | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 68,406 people | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 71,014 people | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 73,643 people | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 76,293 people | +3.6% |
| 2013 | 78,958 people | +3.5% |
| 2014 | 81,641 people | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 84,334 people | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 86,368 people | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 86,491 people | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 85,263 people | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 85,507 people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 86,905 people | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 87,791 people | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 90,105 people | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 93,091 people | +3.3% |
| 2024 | 94,984 people | +2.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 94,984 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0026 people, 37073687.7× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 94,984 people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 55,032 people, 1.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57,067 people | 45,971 people | 68,406 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 80,951 people | 71,014 people | 86,491 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 90,575 people | 86,905 people | 94,984 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 Saudi Arabia?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Saudi Arabia was 94,984 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 94,984 people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,971 people in 2000.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 96th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.