People in rural areas not using an improved water source by country
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.
Countries reporting
175
Highest
38.51 million people
Democratic Republic of Congo
Lowest
0 people
Tokelau
Median
84,097 people
Years covered
25
2000–2024
Data points
4,351
What the numbers show
People in rural areas not using an improved water source is currently reported for 175 countries. The highest value is 38.51 million people in Democratic Republic of Congo; the lowest is 0 people in Tokelau.
The median across all reporting countries is 84,097 people, and the mean is 1.90 million people.
Over the past decade 23 countries rose and 132 fell. The largest increase was in Poland (up 117.7%), and the largest decrease in United Arab Emirates (down 100.0%).
People in rural areas not using an improved water source: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 38.51 million people | 2024 | up 21.3% | rising |
| 2 | China | 30.67 million people | 2024 | down 69.4% | volatile |
| 3 | Nigeria | 28.85 million people | 2024 | down 30.4% | falling |
| 4 | Ethiopia | 21.08 million people | 2024 | down 46.1% | falling |
| 5 | India | 19.16 million people | 2024 | down 76.9% | falling |
| 6 | Tanzania | 14.74 million people | 2024 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 7 | Kenya | 13.15 million people | 2024 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 8 | Indonesia | 11.68 million people | 2024 | down 49.6% | falling |
| 9 | Madagascar | 10.89 million people | 2024 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 10 | Pakistan | 9.83 million people | 2024 | down 19.2% | falling |
| 11 | Niger | 7.99 million people | 2024 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 12 | Mozambique | 7.72 million people | 2024 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 13 | Chad | 6.72 million people | 2024 | up 24.9% | rising |
| 14 | Myanmar | 6.70 million people | 2024 | down 27.2% | falling |
| 15 | Afghanistan | 6.49 million people | 2024 | down 41.2% | falling |
| 16 | Uganda | 5.95 million people | 2024 | down 25.5% | falling |
| 17 | Angola | 5.80 million people | 2024 | down 5.2% | flat |
| 18 | Papua New Guinea | 4.02 million people | 2024 | down 11.5% | flat |
| 19 | Burkina Faso | 3.92 million people | 2024 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 20 | Cote d'Ivoire | 3.75 million people | 2024 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 21 | Zambia | 3.56 million people | 2024 | down 19.0% | falling |
| 22 | Yemen | 3.47 million people | 2024 | down 44.1% | falling |
| 23 | Sudan | 3.05 million people | 2024 | down 55.1% | falling |
| 24 | Cameroon | 3.03 million people | 2024 | down 26.0% | falling |
| 25 | Zimbabwe | 2.95 million people | 2024 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 26 | Russia | 2.89 million people | 2024 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 27 | Poland | 2.79 million people | 2024 | up 117.7% | volatile |
| 28 | South Sudan | 2.35 million people | 2024 | down 26.0% | falling |
| 29 | Somalia | 2.34 million people | 2024 | down 37.7% | falling |
| 30 | Rwanda | 2.17 million people | 2024 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 31 | Mali | 1.99 million people | 2024 | down 44.9% | falling |
| 32 | Guinea | 1.96 million people | 2024 | down 18.6% | falling |
| 33 | Benin | 1.96 million people | 2024 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 34 | Ghana | 1.93 million people | 2024 | down 36.4% | falling |
| 35 | Burundi | 1.90 million people | 2024 | down 9.5% | flat |
| 36 | Sri Lanka | 1.88 million people | 2024 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 37 | Sierra Leone | 1.81 million people | 2024 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 38 | Egypt | 1.67 million people | 2024 | up 63.2% | rising |
| 39 | Central African Republic | 1.57 million people | 2024 | up 12.5% | rising |
| 40 | Morocco | 1.45 million people | 2024 | down 69.5% | falling |
| 41 | Colombia | 1.44 million people | 2024 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 42 | Philippines | 1.41 million people | 2024 | down 68.9% | falling |
| 43 | South Africa | 1.38 million people | 2024 | down 55.6% | falling |
| 44 | Cambodia | 1.36 million people | 2024 | down 60.6% | falling |
| 45 | Senegal | 1.36 million people | 2024 | down 42.7% | falling |
| 46 | Togo | 1.33 million people | 2024 | down 33.4% | falling |
| 47 | Haiti | 1.32 million people | 2024 | down 33.2% | falling |
| 48 | Malawi | 1.10 million people | 2024 | down 57.8% | falling |
| 49 | North Korea | 1.06 million people | 2023 | up 62.6% | volatile |
| 50 | Vietnam | 916,501 people | 2024 | down 85.7% | volatile |
| 51 | Eritrea | 911,772 people | 2016 | up 11.0% | rising |
| 52 | Peru | 855,954 people | 2024 | down 53.6% | falling |
| 53 | Congo | 850,757 people | 2021 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 54 | Algeria | 768,548 people | 2024 | down 16.5% | falling |
| 55 | Bolivia | 742,511 people | 2024 | down 27.2% | falling |
| 56 | Ecuador | 732,671 people | 2024 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 57 | Tajikistan | 714,996 people | 2024 | down 54.3% | falling |
| 58 | Guatemala | 707,323 people | 2024 | down 29.5% | falling |
| 59 | Bangladesh | 628,637 people | 2024 | down 73.4% | volatile |
| 60 | Mexico | 600,167 people | 2024 | down 74.4% | falling |
| 61 | Liberia | 596,153 people | 2024 | down 24.9% | falling |
| 62 | Nepal | 543,050 people | 2024 | down 76.2% | falling |
| 63 | Mauritania | 508,969 people | 2024 | down 32.3% | falling |
| 64 | Guinea-Bissau | 422,890 people | 2024 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 65 | Uzbekistan | 399,896 people | 2024 | down 49.7% | falling |
| 66 | Honduras | 348,812 people | 2024 | down 41.1% | falling |
| 67 | Iraq | 333,006 people | 2024 | down 79.2% | volatile |
| 68 | Laos | 321,392 people | 2024 | down 75.3% | falling |
| 69 | Malaysia | 312,661 people | 2024 | down 28.8% | falling |
| 70 | Equatorial Guinea | 300,670 people | 2017 | up 16.5% | rising |
| 71 | Mongolia | 288,275 people | 2024 | down 27.0% | falling |
| 72 | Lesotho | 271,214 people | 2024 | down 16.9% | falling |
| 73 | Argentina | 257,905 people | 2016 | down 56.6% | falling |
| 74 | Turkey | 257,424 people | 2024 | down 65.6% | volatile |
| 75 | Kyrgyzstan | 201,464 people | 2024 | down 60.5% | falling |
| 76 | Iran | 177,028 people | 2024 | down 80.5% | volatile |
| 77 | Namibia | 176,687 people | 2024 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 78 | Solomon Islands | 170,906 people | 2024 | up 41.3% | rising |
| 79 | Moldova | 166,372 people | 2024 | down 46.4% | falling |
| 80 | Eswatini | 164,869 people | 2024 | down 40.6% | falling |
| 81 | Chile | 149,391 people | 2024 | down 47.7% | falling |
| 82 | Panama | 130,148 people | 2024 | down 34.0% | falling |
| 83 | Azerbaijan | 122,236 people | 2024 | down 81.8% | falling |
| 84 | East Timor | 114,012 people | 2024 | down 56.3% | falling |
| 85 | Canada | 110,386 people | 2024 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 86 | Tunisia | 106,536 people | 2024 | down 67.7% | falling |
| 87 | Gabon | 88,247 people | 2024 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 88 | Gambia | 84,097 people | 2024 | down 38.4% | falling |
| 89 | Cuba | 80,619 people | 2024 | down 62.9% | falling |
| 90 | Dominican Republic | 77,060 people | 2024 | down 51.7% | falling |
| 91 | Portugal | 73,082 people | 2024 | up 22.2% | rising |
| 92 | Georgia | 62,927 people | 2024 | down 40.2% | falling |
| 93 | El Salvador | 58,759 people | 2024 | down 76.5% | volatile |
| 94 | Djibouti | 53,612 people | 2024 | down 17.5% | falling |
| 95 | Botswana | 47,985 people | 2024 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 96 | Serbia | 40,286 people | 2024 | up 18.3% | rising |
| 97 | Bulgaria | 38,710 people | 2024 | up 26.6% | rising |
| 98 | Jamaica | 37,761 people | 2024 | down 52.3% | falling |
| 100 | Kazakhstan | 36,290 people | 2024 | down 93.2% | volatile |
| 101 | Albania | 34,827 people | 2024 | down 34.6% | falling |
| 102 | Ukraine | 33,192 people | 2024 | down 87.6% | volatile |
| 103 | Comoros | 32,899 people | 2024 | down 6.9% | flat |
| 104 | Vanuatu | 31,454 people | 2024 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 105 | Fiji | 29,177 people | 2024 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 106 | Kiribati | 19,052 people | 2024 | down 20.3% | falling |
| 107 | Saudi Arabia | 17,709 people | 2024 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 108 | Belize | 16,495 people | 2024 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 109 | Guyana | 14,433 people | 2024 | down 54.8% | falling |
| 110 | Jordan | 12,777 people | 2024 | down 32.0% | falling |
| 111 | Oman | 12,302 people | 2024 | down 69.2% | falling |
| 112 | Cape Verde | 10,287 people | 2024 | down 42.8% | falling |
| 113 | Latvia | 8,473 people | 2024 | down 45.9% | falling |
| 114 | Sweden | 5,240 people | 2024 | down 53.8% | falling |
| 115 | Trinidad and Tobago | 4,117 people | 2024 | down 15.2% | falling |
| 116 | Suriname | 3,876 people | 2024 | down 78.9% | volatile |
| 117 | Sao Tome and Principe | 3,680 people | 2024 | down 60.3% | falling |
| 118 | Czechia | 3,047 people | 2024 | down 3.1% | volatile |
| 119 | North Macedonia | 2,487 people | 2024 | down 69.1% | falling |
| 120 | Croatia | 2,352 people | 2024 | down 14.5% | volatile |
| 121 | Lithuania | 2,339 people | 2024 | down 97.5% | volatile |
| 122 | Belarus | 2,290 people | 2024 | down 84.8% | volatile |
| 123 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1,510 people | 2018 | down 29.3% | falling |
| 124 | Cyprus | 1,348 people | 2024 | up 89.1% | volatile |
| 125 | Samoa | 1,219 people | 2024 | down 73.1% | falling |
| 126 | Montenegro | 1,044 people | 2024 | down 74.7% | volatile |
| 127 | Mauritius | 933.74 people | 2024 | down 73.7% | falling |
| 128 | Antigua and Barbuda | 721.76 people | 2024 | down 32.6% | falling |
| 129 | Dominica | 619.42 people | 2024 | down 47.6% | falling |
| 130 | Falkland Islands | 164.47 people | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 131 | Tonga | 143.28 people | 2024 | down 62.0% | falling |
| 132 | Wallis and Futuna | 80.75 people | 2024 | up 11.5% | rising |
| 133 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 80.18 people | 2024 | down 9.6% | falling |
| 134 | Marshall Islands | 57.78 people | 2024 | down 6.9% | rising |
| 135 | Palau | 27.5 people | 2024 | down 36.1% | falling |
| 136 | Cook Islands | 6.09 people | 2024 | up 59.9% | volatile |
| 137 | Tuvalu | 3.29 people | 2024 | down 85.1% | volatile |
| 138 | Andorra | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | United Arab Emirates | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Armenia | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Australia | 0 people | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 138 | Austria | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Belgium | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Brazil | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Bhutan | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Switzerland | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Costa Rica | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Germany | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Denmark | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Spain | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Estonia | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Finland | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | France | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | United Kingdom | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Greece | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Greenland | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Hungary | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Iceland | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Israel | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Saint Lucia | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Maldives | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Netherlands | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Norway | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | New Zealand | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Paraguay | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Palestine | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Romania | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | San Marino | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Slovakia | 0 people | 2024 | — | flat |
| 138 | Syria | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Thailand | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Turkmenistan | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Uruguay | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | United States | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 138 | Tokelau | 0 people | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
About this data
Number of people not using improved drinking water sources. These people might use surface water sources or unprotected springs or wells, as no safe and reliable improved drinking water source is available to them.