People using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan
Japan: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 122.74 million people in 2024. ▬ Flat
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan, 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 using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan stood at 122.74 million people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan peaked at 126.56 million people in 2010 and was at its lowest, 122.74 million people, in 2024.
Japan ranks 11th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 125.15 million people | — |
| 2001 | 125.38 million people | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 125.60 million people | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 125.78 million people | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 125.92 million people | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 126.06 million people | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 126.19 million people | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 126.33 million people | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 126.44 million people | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 126.52 million people | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 126.56 million people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 126.51 million people | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 126.39 million people | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 126.23 million people | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 126.05 million people | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 125.88 million people | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 125.81 million people | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 125.76 million people | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 125.66 million people | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 125.49 million people | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 125.14 million people | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 124.56 million people | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 123.93 million people | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 123.36 million people | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 122.74 million people | -0.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 122.74 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.05 million people, 40.3× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 122.74 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.22 million people, 100.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 125.94 million people | 125.15 million people | 126.52 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 126.03 million people | 125.49 million people | 126.56 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 123.95 million people | 122.74 million people | 125.14 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.8 % 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 -0.4957 % 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 using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan was 122.74 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 using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 126.56 million people in 2010.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 122.74 million people in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Japan ranks 11th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan 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 using at least a basic drinking water source. 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 using an improved drinking water source, which is either available on premises, or collection time is no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.