People using at least a basic drinking water source in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 20.84 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 20.84 million people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in Sri Lanka peaked at 20.84 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.14 million people, in 2000.
Sri Lanka ranks 56th 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 using at least a basic drinking water source in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 16.14 million people | — |
| 2001 | 16.45 million people | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 16.68 million people | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 16.85 million people | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 17.03 million people | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 17.19 million people | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 17.36 million people | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 17.54 million people | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 17.71 million people | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 17.88 million people | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 18.05 million people | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 18.22 million people | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 18.42 million people | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 18.64 million people | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 18.87 million people | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 19.09 million people | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 19.31 million people | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 19.53 million people | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 19.74 million people | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 19.95 million people | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 20.15 million people | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 20.34 million people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 20.53 million people | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 20.72 million people | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 20.84 million people | +0.6% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 20.84 million people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.66 million people, 3.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 20.84 million people is below the median for South Asia, which is 24.30 million people, 86% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.08 million people | 16.14 million people | 17.88 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.98 million people | 18.05 million people | 19.95 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.52 million people | 20.15 million people | 20.84 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 5.63 % 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 1.22 % 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 Sri Lanka?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in Sri Lanka was 20.84 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 20.84 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.14 million people in 2000.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Sri Lanka ranks 56th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.