Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Kenya
Kenya: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 65.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Kenya, 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 Kenya stood at 65.6%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Kenya peaked at 65.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45.4%, in 2000.
Kenya ranks 214th 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 45.4% | — |
| 2001 | 46.2% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 47.1% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 48.0% | +1.8% |
| 2004 | 48.8% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 49.7% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 50.5% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 51.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 52.3% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 53.1% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 53.9% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 54.8% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 55.6% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 56.5% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 57.3% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 58.2% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 59.0% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 59.8% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 60.7% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 61.5% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 62.3% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 63.1% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 64.0% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 64.8% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 65.6% | +1.3% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 65.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.4%, 77% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 65.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 49.2% | 45.4% | 53.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 57.7% | 53.9% | 61.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.0% | 62.3% | 65.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 Kenya?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Kenya was 65.6% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 65.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.4% in 2000.
- How does Kenya rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Kenya ranks 214th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.