Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa
Africa: Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services was 68 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa stood at 68 %. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa peaked at 68 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 48 %, in 2000.
Africa ranks 26th of 28 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 48 % | — |
| 2001 | 48 % | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 49 % | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 50 % | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 51 % | +2.0% |
| 2005 | 52 % | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 53 % | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 54 % | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 54 % | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 55 % | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 56 % | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 57 % | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 58 % | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 59 % | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 60 % | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 61 % | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 62 % | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 62 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 63 % | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 64 % | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 65 % | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 66 % | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 67 % | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 68 % | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 68 % | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 51.4 % | 48 % | 55 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.2 % | 56 % | 64 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.8 % | 65 % | 68 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa
- 24 Côte d'Ivoire 77 % compare
More environment data for Africa
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.32 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.213 °C (2025)
- Primary wood and paper products (export/import) — Export value 5.54 million 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood, coniferous — Production 32.26 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood — Export value 714,851 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood — Export quantity 3.78 million m3 (2024)
- Roundwood — Import value 182,147 1000 USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa?
- Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services in Africa was 68 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 68 % in 2023.
- What is the lowest percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 48 % in 2000.
- How does Africa rank for percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services?
- Africa ranks 26th out of 28 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Percentage of population using at least basic drinking water services (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.