Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan
Japan: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 99.2% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan stood at 99.2%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan peaked at 99.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 98.5%, in 2000.
That places Japan 87th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 98.5% | — |
| 2001 | 98.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 98.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 98.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 98.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 98.6% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 98.8% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 99.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 99.0% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 99.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 99.1% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 99.2% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 99.2% | +0.0% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 99.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 100.0%, 99% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 99.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 98.7%, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 98.6% | 98.5% | 98.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.9% | 98.7% | 99.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.1% | 99.1% | 99.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More environment data for Japan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.8 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.358 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.8 % 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 -0.4957 % 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 Japan?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Japan was 99.2% 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 99.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.5% in 2000.
- How does Japan rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Japan ranks 87th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan 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.