Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 80.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan is 80.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 38.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan peaked at 80.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 29.7%, in 2000.
Afghanistan ranks 190th of 231 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 29.7% | — |
| 2001 | 29.8% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 31.8% | +7.0% |
| 2003 | 33.9% | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 36.0% | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 38.1% | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 40.2% | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 42.4% | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 44.7% | +5.2% |
| 2009 | 46.9% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 49.1% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 51.4% | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 53.7% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 55.9% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 58.2% | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 60.5% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 62.8% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 65.1% | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 67.5% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 69.8% | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 72.2% | +3.4% |
| 2021 | 74.6% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 76.9% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 80.8% | +2.4% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 80.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.9%, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 80.8% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 97.3%, 83% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.4% | 29.7% | 46.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.4% | 49.1% | 69.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.7% | 72.2% | 80.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More environment data for Afghanistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -19.95 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -17.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.547 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.85 % 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 0.7636 % 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Afghanistan was 80.8% 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 share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 80.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.7% in 2000.
- How does Afghanistan rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Afghanistan ranks 190th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 38.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 Share of population 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
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.