Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Eritrea

Eritrea: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 51.8% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
51.8%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
227th
of 231 countries
All-time high
51.8%
in 2016
All-time low
46.8%
in 2000
Years of data
17
2000–2016

Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Eritrea, 2000–2016

02040602000200820162000: 46.8 %2001: 47.1 %2002: 47.4 %2003: 47.8 %2004: 48.1 %2005: 48.5 %2006: 48.9 %2007: 49.2 %2008: 49.6 %2009: 49.8 %2010: 50 %2011: 50.2 %2012: 50.3 %2013: 50.7 %2014: 51.1 %2015: 51.5 %2016: 51.8 %

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 Eritrea is 51.8%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Eritrea peaked at 51.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 46.8%, in 2000.

Eritrea ranks 227th of 231 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 48.3% 46.8% 49.8% 10
2010s 50.8% 50.0% 51.8% 7

Countries ranked near Eritrea

  1. 224 Niger 53.4% compare
  2. 225 Papua New Guinea 53.3% compare
  3. 226 Chad 52.2% compare
  4. 228 Burkina Faso 50.0% compare
  5. 229 South Sudan 39.7% compare
  6. 230 Central African Republic 36.5% compare

See the full ranking of 231 places →

More environment data for Eritrea

All data for Eritrea →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Eritrea?
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Eritrea was 51.8% in 2016, 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 Eritrea?
The highest recorded value was 51.8% in 2016.
What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Eritrea?
The lowest recorded value was 46.8% in 2000.
How does Eritrea rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
Eritrea ranks 227th out of 231 countries with data for 2016.
Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Eritrea?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eritrea 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

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
231 places, 5,586 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.