Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Zambia
Zambia: Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source was 73.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Zambia, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 73.4% 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 1.5% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Zambia peaked at 73.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 46.2%, in 2000.
Zambia ranks 203rd 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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 46.2% | — |
| 2001 | 47.3% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 48.6% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 51.0% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 52.2% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 53.4% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 54.6% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 55.8% | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 56.9% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 58.1% | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 59.2% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 60.4% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 61.5% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 62.6% | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 63.7% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 64.8% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 65.9% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 67.0% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 68.1% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 69.1% | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 70.2% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 71.3% | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 72.4% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 73.4% | +1.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 73.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.4%, 86% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 73.4% 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 | 51.6% | 46.2% | 56.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 58.1% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.3% | 69.1% | 73.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More environment data for Zambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.11 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.74 % 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 3.49 % 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 Zambia?
- Share of population using at least a basic drinking water source in Zambia was 73.4% 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 73.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population using at least a basic drinking water source recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.2% in 2000.
- How does Zambia rank for share of population using at least a basic drinking water source?
- Zambia ranks 203rd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population using at least a basic drinking water source rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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.