People using at least a basic drinking water source in Yemen
Yemen: People using at least a basic drinking water source was 30.45 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least a basic drinking water source in Yemen, 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 Yemen stood at 30.45 million people. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 73.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least a basic drinking water source in Yemen peaked at 30.45 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.87 million people, in 2000.
That places Yemen 46th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Yemen, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.87 million people | — |
| 2001 | 8.16 million people | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 8.45 million people | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 8.91 million people | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 9.40 million people | +5.4% |
| 2005 | 10.04 million people | +6.8% |
| 2006 | 10.73 million people | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 11.45 million people | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 12.21 million people | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 13.02 million people | +6.6% |
| 2010 | 13.86 million people | +6.4% |
| 2011 | 14.72 million people | +6.3% |
| 2012 | 15.64 million people | +6.2% |
| 2013 | 16.59 million people | +6.1% |
| 2014 | 17.60 million people | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 18.66 million people | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 19.76 million people | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 20.91 million people | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 22.11 million people | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 23.37 million people | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 24.66 million people | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 25.97 million people | +5.3% |
| 2022 | 27.38 million people | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 28.88 million people | +5.5% |
| 2024 | 30.45 million people | +5.4% |
Yemen compared with similar countries
- Yemen's 30.45 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 14.44 million people, 2.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Yemen's 30.45 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 11.47 million people, 2.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.02 million people | 7.87 million people | 13.02 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.32 million people | 13.86 million people | 23.37 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.47 million people | 24.66 million people | 30.45 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
More environment data for Yemen
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -36.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -31.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 43.43 % change on previous year (1998)
- Standard Deviation 0.393 °C (1998)
- Temperature change 1.37 °C (1998)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
- 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 2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least a basic drinking water source in Yemen?
- People using at least a basic drinking water source in Yemen was 30.45 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 Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 30.45 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.87 million people in 2000.
- How does Yemen rank for people using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Yemen ranks 46th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is up 73.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Yemen 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.