People not using safely managed drinking water sources in India
India: People not using safely managed drinking water sources was 341.81 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People not using safely managed drinking water sources in India, 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
In 2024, people not using safely managed drinking water sources in India stood at 341.81 million people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 35.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people not using safely managed drinking water sources in India peaked at 659.72 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 341.81 million people, in 2024.
That places India 1st out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People not using safely managed drinking water sources in India, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 659.72 million people | — |
| 2001 | 656.41 million people | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 651.88 million people | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 646.33 million people | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 640.05 million people | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 632.77 million people | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 624.52 million people | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 615.36 million people | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 605.23 million people | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 594.59 million people | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 583.44 million people | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 571.49 million people | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 558.68 million people | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 545.04 million people | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 530.40 million people | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 514.82 million people | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 498.65 million people | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 481.75 million people | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 463.99 million people | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 445.42 million people | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 426.03 million people | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 405.54 million people | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 384.48 million people | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 363.36 million people | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 341.81 million people | -5.9% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 341.81 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 7.56 million people, 45.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
- India's 341.81 million people is above the median for South Asia, which is 24.76 million people, 13.8× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 632.68 million people | 594.59 million people | 659.72 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 519.37 million people | 445.42 million people | 583.44 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 384.24 million people | 341.81 million people | 426.03 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % 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 safely managed drinking water sources in India?
- People not using safely managed drinking water sources in India was 341.81 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 safely managed drinking water sources recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 659.72 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people not using safely managed drinking water sources recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 341.81 million people in 2024.
- How does India rank for people not using safely managed drinking water sources?
- India ranks 1st out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people not using safely managed drinking water sources rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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 safely managed 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
People not using safely managed drinking water sources either use unimproved drinking water sources or the improved sources they use are not located on their premises, not available when needed, or not free of contamination.