People using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi
Malawi: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 15.82 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi, 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 using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi is 15.82 million people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.8% on the previous year and up 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi peaked at 15.82 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.13 million people, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 66th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.13 million people | — |
| 2001 | 6.37 million people | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 6.62 million people | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 6.89 million people | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 7.17 million people | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 7.46 million people | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 7.78 million people | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 8.11 million people | +4.2% |
| 2008 | 8.45 million people | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 8.82 million people | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 9.20 million people | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 9.59 million people | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 10.00 million people | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 10.41 million people | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 10.84 million people | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 11.27 million people | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 11.72 million people | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 12.18 million people | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 12.66 million people | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 13.14 million people | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 13.65 million people | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 14.16 million people | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 14.69 million people | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 15.24 million people | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 15.82 million people | +3.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 15.82 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.44 million people, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 15.82 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.33 million people, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.38 million people | 6.13 million people | 8.82 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.10 million people | 9.20 million people | 13.14 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.71 million people | 13.65 million people | 15.82 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi was 15.82 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 15.82 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.13 million people in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Malawi ranks 66th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.