People not using improved drinking water sources in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: People not using improved drinking water sources was 3.08 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People not using improved drinking water sources in Zimbabwe, 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
Zimbabwe recorded 3.08 million people for people not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using improved drinking water sources in Zimbabwe peaked at 3.08 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.82 million people, in 2002.
Zimbabwe ranks 29th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People not using improved drinking water sources in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.84 million people | — |
| 2001 | 2.84 million people | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 2.82 million people | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 2.83 million people | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 2.84 million people | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 2.84 million people | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 2.85 million people | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.87 million people | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 2.88 million people | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 2.89 million people | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 2.91 million people | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 2.94 million people | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 2.96 million people | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 2.98 million people | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 2.99 million people | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 3.00 million people | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 3.01 million people | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 3.01 million people | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 3.02 million people | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 3.03 million people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 3.04 million people | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 3.05 million people | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 3.06 million people | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 3.07 million people | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 3.08 million people | +0.2% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 3.08 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 912,712 people, 3.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 3.08 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.99 million people, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.85 million people | 2.82 million people | 2.89 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.98 million people | 2.91 million people | 3.03 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.06 million people | 3.04 million people | 3.08 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.06 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.19 % 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 1.53 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- People not using improved drinking water sources in Zimbabwe was 3.08 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 3.08 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.82 million people in 2002.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for people not using improved drinking water sources?
- Zimbabwe ranks 29th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.