People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 6.49 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan is 6.49 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 8.0% on the previous year and down 41.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan peaked at 12.47 million people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 6.49 million people, in 2024.
That places Afghanistan 15th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.17 million people | 11.82 million people | 12.47 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.68 million people | 9.21 million people | 11.66 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.64 million people | 6.49 million people | 8.78 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More environment data for Afghanistan
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 33.03 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.7746 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 12.48 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2033 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.5 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0094 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 16.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0035 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.026 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 2.03 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Afghanistan was 6.49 million people 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 people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 12.47 million people in 2003.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.49 million people in 2024.
- How does Afghanistan rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Afghanistan ranks 15th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 People in rural areas not using an improved water source. 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
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.