Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 66.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria, 2000–2024
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 of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria is 66.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria peaked at 66.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 2000.
That places Nigeria 141st out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 31.5% | — |
| 2001 | 32.7% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 34.1% | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 35.5% | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 36.9% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 38.2% | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 39.7% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 41.1% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 42.5% | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 43.9% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 45.4% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 46.8% | +3.2% |
| 2012 | 48.3% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 49.8% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 51.3% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 52.8% | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 54.3% | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 55.8% | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 57.4% | +2.8% |
| 2019 | 58.9% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 60.5% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 62.0% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 63.6% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 65.2% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 66.6% | +2.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 66.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 75.4%, 88% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 66.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.5%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.6% | 31.5% | 43.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.1% | 45.4% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.6% | 60.5% | 66.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % 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 0.4617 % 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 Nigeria?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in Nigeria was 66.6% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 66.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 2000.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- Nigeria ranks 141st 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 Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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
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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.