Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland
Ireland: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 98.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 98.0% for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland peaked at 98.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 97.0%, in 2000.
Ireland ranks 62nd of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 97.0% | — |
| 2001 | 97.1% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 97.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 97.1% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 97.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 97.3% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 97.4% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 97.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 97.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 97.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 97.8% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 97.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 97.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 97.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.0% | +0.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 98.0% is below the median for high income countries, which is 100.0%, 98% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 98.0% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 99.9%, 98% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 97.2% | 97.0% | 97.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 97.6% | 97.4% | 97.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.9% | 97.8% | 98.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 59 Canada 98.5% compare
- 60 Saint Lucia 98.2% compare
- 61 North Macedonia 98.1% compare
- 63 Jordan 97.8% compare
- 64 Portugal 97.8% compare
- 65 Kazakhstan 97.6% compare
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Ireland was 98.0% 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 98.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.0% in 2000.
- How does Ireland rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Ireland ranks 62nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland 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 the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services. 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.