People in rural areas not using an improved water source in El Salvador
El Salvador: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 58,759 people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in El Salvador, 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
El Salvador recorded 58,759 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 11.7% on the previous year and down 76.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in El Salvador peaked at 723,954 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 58,759 people, in 2024.
That places El Salvador 93rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 723,954 people | — |
| 2001 | 717,196 people | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 679,093 people | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 640,927 people | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 602,867 people | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 565,154 people | -6.3% |
| 2006 | 527,922 people | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 491,803 people | -6.8% |
| 2008 | 453,446 people | -7.8% |
| 2009 | 416,334 people | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 380,535 people | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 346,063 people | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 312,903 people | -9.6% |
| 2013 | 280,986 people | -10.2% |
| 2014 | 250,195 people | -11.0% |
| 2015 | 220,444 people | -11.9% |
| 2016 | 191,849 people | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 164,404 people | -14.3% |
| 2018 | 138,060 people | -16.0% |
| 2019 | 112,888 people | -18.2% |
| 2020 | 92,720 people | -17.9% |
| 2021 | 83,455 people | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 74,738 people | -10.4% |
| 2023 | 66,538 people | -11.0% |
| 2024 | 58,759 people | -11.7% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 58,759 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40,286 people, 1.5× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 58,759 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 48,260 people, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 581,870 people | 416,334 people | 723,954 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 239,833 people | 112,888 people | 380,535 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 75,242 people | 58,759 people | 92,720 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More environment data for El Salvador
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.31 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.1 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.28 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.58 % 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 0.0446 % 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 El Salvador?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in El Salvador was 58,759 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 723,954 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 58,759 people in 2024.
- How does El Salvador rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- El Salvador ranks 93rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 76.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.