Share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea
South Korea: Share using safely managed drinking water was 99.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea, 2002–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea is 99.3%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea peaked at 99.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 97.2%, in 2002.
That places South Korea 30th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 97.2% | — |
| 2003 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 97.5% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 97.7% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 97.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 98.1% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.6% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 99.0% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 99.1% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 99.2% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 99.3% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 99.3% | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 99.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 98.7%, 1.0× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 99.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 64.6%, 1.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.3% | 97.2% | 97.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 98.4% | 97.8% | 98.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.2% | 99.0% | 99.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea?
- Share using safely managed drinking water in South Korea was 99.3% 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 using safely managed drinking water recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 99.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share using safely managed drinking water recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.2% in 2002.
- How does South Korea rank for share using safely managed drinking water?
- South Korea ranks 30th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share using safely managed drinking water rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea 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 using safely managed drinking water. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.