Share using safely managed drinking water in Malawi

Malawi: Share using safely managed drinking water was 18.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
18.2%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
153rd
of 163 countries
All-time high
18.2%
in 2024
All-time low
6.9%
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share using safely managed drinking water in Malawi, 2000–2024

051015202000201220242000: 6.9 %2001: 7.3 %2002: 7.7 %2003: 8.1 %2004: 8.5 %2005: 8.9 %2006: 9.3 %2007: 9.7 %2008: 10.2 %2009: 10.6 %2010: 11.1 %2011: 11.5 %2012: 12 %2013: 12.5 %2014: 13 %2015: 13.6 %2016: 14.1 %2017: 14.7 %2018: 15.2 %2019: 15.8 %2020: 16.4 %2021: 17 %2022: 17.7 %2023: 17.9 %2024: 18.2 %

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 Malawi is 18.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 39.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share using safely managed drinking water in Malawi peaked at 18.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 2000.

Malawi ranks 153rd of 163 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.7% 6.9% 10.6% 10
2010s 13.3% 11.1% 15.8% 10
2020s 17.4% 16.4% 18.2% 5

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 150 Togo 20.5% compare
  2. 151 Vanuatu 19.2% compare
  3. 152 Nauru 18.7% compare
  4. 154 Uganda 18.1% compare
  5. 155 Benin 17.7% compare
  6. 156 Nepal 16.5% compare

See the full ranking of 163 places →

More environment data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is share using safely managed drinking water in Malawi?
Share using safely managed drinking water in Malawi was 18.2% 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 Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 18.2% in 2024.
What is the lowest share using safely managed drinking water recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 2000.
How does Malawi rank for share using safely managed drinking water?
Malawi ranks 153rd out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
Is share using safely managed drinking water rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.6%. 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 using safely managed drinking water. 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

Indicator
Share using safely managed drinking water
Unit
%
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
163 places, 3,991 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.