Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi
Malawi: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 73.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 73.1% for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi peaked at 73.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 54.1%, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 205th 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 54.1% | — |
| 2001 | 54.9% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 55.7% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 56.5% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 57.3% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 58.1% | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 58.9% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 59.7% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 60.5% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 61.3% | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 62.1% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 62.8% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 63.6% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 64.4% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 65.2% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 66.0% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 66.8% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 67.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 68.3% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 69.1% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 69.9% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 70.6% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 71.4% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 72.2% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 73.1% | +1.1% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 73.1% is above the median for low income countries, which is 64.9%, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 73.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57.7% | 54.1% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 65.6% | 62.1% | 69.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.4% | 69.9% | 73.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Malawi was 73.1% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 73.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.1% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Malawi ranks 205th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.