People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon
Cameroon: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 3.03 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon, 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
In 2024, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon stood at 3.03 million people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon peaked at 4.91 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 3.03 million people, in 2024.
Cameroon ranks 24th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.69 million people | 4.45 million people | 4.91 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.04 million people | 3.64 million people | 4.39 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.28 million people | 3.03 million people | 3.52 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More environment data for Cameroon
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 40.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.39 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 7.44 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 7.73 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0019 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 21.82 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0018 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0255 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 4.38 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Cameroon was 3.03 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 Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 4.91 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.03 million people in 2024.
- How does Cameroon rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Cameroon ranks 24th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.