Share using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Share using safely managed drinking water was 99.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
99.8%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
19th
of 163 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2000
All-time low
99.8%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom, 2000–2024

0204060801002000201220242000: 100 %2001: 100 %2002: 100 %2003: 100 %2004: 100 %2005: 100 %2006: 100 %2007: 100 %2008: 100 %2009: 100 %2010: 99.9 %2011: 99.9 %2012: 99.9 %2013: 99.9 %2014: 99.9 %2015: 99.9 %2016: 99.9 %2017: 99.9 %2018: 99.9 %2019: 99.9 %2020: 99.9 %2021: 99.8 %2022: 99.8 %2023: 99.8 %2024: 99.8 %

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 using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom stood at 99.8%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom peaked at 100.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 99.8%, in 2024.

That places United Kingdom 19th out of 163 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 10
2010s 99.9% 99.9% 99.9% 10
2020s 99.8% 99.8% 99.9% 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 16 Germany 99.9% compare
  2. 17 Isle of Man 99.9% compare
  3. 20 Sweden 99.8% compare
  4. 21 Cyprus 99.7% compare
  5. 22 France 99.7% compare

See the full ranking of 163 places →

More environment data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is share using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom?
Share using safely managed drinking water in United Kingdom was 99.8% 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2000.
What is the lowest share using safely managed drinking water recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 99.8% in 2024.
How does United Kingdom rank for share using safely managed drinking water?
United Kingdom ranks 19th out of 163 countries with data for 2024.
Is share using safely managed drinking water rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom 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.