People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Eswatini
Eswatini: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 164,869 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Eswatini, 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 Eswatini stood at 164,869 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and down 40.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Eswatini peaked at 414,404 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 164,869 people, in 2024.
Eswatini ranks 80th 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 Eswatini, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 414,404 people | — |
| 2001 | 407,496 people | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 399,867 people | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 391,610 people | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 382,885 people | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 373,770 people | -2.4% |
| 2006 | 364,344 people | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 354,830 people | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 344,198 people | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 333,356 people | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 322,247 people | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 310,959 people | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 299,830 people | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 288,633 people | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 277,388 people | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 266,094 people | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 254,715 people | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 243,634 people | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 232,795 people | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 221,790 people | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 210,917 people | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 199,968 people | -5.2% |
| 2022 | 188,518 people | -5.7% |
| 2023 | 176,746 people | -6.2% |
| 2024 | 164,869 people | -6.7% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 164,869 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 796,634 people, 21% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 164,869 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.93 million people, 9% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 376,676 people | 333,356 people | 414,404 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 271,808 people | 221,790 people | 322,247 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 188,204 people | 164,869 people | 210,917 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More environment data for Eswatini
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.321 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2772 % 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 -2.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Eswatini?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Eswatini was 164,869 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 414,404 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 164,869 people in 2024.
- How does Eswatini rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Eswatini ranks 80th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.