Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Rwanda
Rwanda: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 61.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda stood at 61.4%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Rwanda peaked at 61.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 47.6%, in 2000.
That places Rwanda 221st out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.6% | — |
| 2001 | 48.4% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 49.2% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 50.3% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 50.8% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 51.4% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 51.9% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 52.4% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 53.0% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 53.5% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 54.0% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 54.6% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 55.1% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 55.7% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 56.2% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 56.8% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 57.9% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 58.5% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 59.1% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 59.6% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 60.2% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 60.8% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 61.4% | +0.9% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 61.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 64.9%, 95% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 61.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.2%, 85% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.5% | 47.6% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.0% | 53.5% | 58.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.2% | 59.1% | 61.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More environment data for Rwanda
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate -31.63 % change on previous year (2013)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2013)
- Temperature change 1.35 °C (2013)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0359 % 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 -1.42 % 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 Rwanda?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Rwanda was 61.4% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 61.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.6% in 2000.
- How does Rwanda rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Rwanda ranks 221st out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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
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.