People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile
Chile: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 149,391 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile, 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 Chile stood at 149,391 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 9.7% on the previous year and down 47.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile peaked at 461,608 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 149,391 people, in 2024.
Chile ranks 81st of 178 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 461,608 people | — |
| 2001 | 443,662 people | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 427,214 people | -3.7% |
| 2003 | 416,422 people | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 405,238 people | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 393,894 people | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 382,388 people | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 370,772 people | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 359,058 people | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 347,313 people | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 335,379 people | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 323,208 people | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 310,861 people | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 298,339 people | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 285,792 people | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 273,151 people | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 260,661 people | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 248,784 people | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 237,069 people | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 224,925 people | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 211,458 people | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 196,969 people | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 181,537 people | -7.8% |
| 2023 | 165,373 people | -8.9% |
| 2024 | 149,391 people | -9.7% |
Chile compared with similar countries
- Chile's 149,391 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 48,260 people, 3.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 400,757 people | 347,313 people | 461,608 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 279,817 people | 224,925 people | 335,379 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 180,946 people | 149,391 people | 211,458 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Chile
- 78 Solomon Islands 170,906 people compare
- 79 Moldova 166,372 people compare
- 80 Eswatini 164,869 people compare
- 82 Panama 130,148 people compare
- 83 Azerbaijan 122,236 people compare
- 84 East Timor 114,012 people compare
More environment data for Chile
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.67 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.3357 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.266 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.82 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.1 % 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 0.202 % 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 people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Chile was 149,391 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 Chile?
- The highest recorded value was 461,608 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Chile?
- The lowest recorded value was 149,391 people in 2024.
- How does Chile rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Chile ranks 81st out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Chile?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Chile 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.