Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States
United States: Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services was 100.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States, 2005–2024
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 of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States stood at 100.0%. That is the highest value across all 20 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States peaked at 100.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 95.7%, in 2005.
That places United States 1st out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 95.7% | — |
| 2006 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 95.7% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 96.0% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 96.4% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 96.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 97.0% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 97.4% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 97.7% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 98.0% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 98.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 98.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 99.0% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 99.4% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 99.7% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 100.0% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 100.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 100.0%, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 95.7% | 95.7% | 95.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 97.5% | 96.0% | 99.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 99.8% | 99.4% | 100.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 1 Andorra 100.0% compare
- 1 Armenia 100.0% compare
- 1 Australia 100.0% compare
- 1 Austria 100.0% compare
- 1 Belgium 100.0% compare
- 1 Brazil 100.0% compare
- 1 Denmark 100.0% compare
- 1 Estonia 100.0% compare
- 1 Finland 100.0% compare
- 1 France 100.0% compare
- 1 Germany 100.0% compare
- 1 Greece 100.0% compare
- 1 Greenland 100.0% compare
- 1 Hungary 100.0% compare
- 1 Iceland 100.0% compare
- 1 Israel 100.0% compare
- 1 Luxembourg 100.0% compare
- 1 Malta 100.0% compare
- 1 Netherlands 100.0% compare
- 1 New Zealand 100.0% compare
- 1 Norway 100.0% compare
- 1 Palestine 100.0% compare
- 1 Romania 100.0% compare
- 1 San Marino 100.0% compare
- 1 Slovakia 100.0% compare
- 1 Spain 100.0% compare
- 1 Switzerland 100.0% compare
- 1 Thailand 100.0% compare
- 1 Tokelau 100.0% compare
- 1 Turkmenistan 100.0% compare
- 1 United Arab Emirates 100.0% compare
- 1 United Kingdom 100.0% compare
More environment data for United States
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2197 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1952 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit 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 United States?
- Share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services in United States was 100.0% 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.7% in 2005.
- How does United States rank for share of the rural population using at least a basic drinking water services?
- United States ranks 1st 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 United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.
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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.