People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 21.08 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Ethiopia, 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
Ethiopia recorded 21.08 million 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.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.6% on the previous year and down 46.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Ethiopia peaked at 49.02 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 21.08 million people, in 2024.
That places Ethiopia 4th 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 | 47.38 million people | 44.72 million people | 49.02 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.06 million people | 31.30 million people | 43.77 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.38 million people | 21.08 million people | 29.47 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More environment data for Ethiopia
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 192.7 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.46 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 87.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 12.61 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 18.3 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0131 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 131.63 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0409 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.56 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Ethiopia?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Ethiopia was 21.08 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 49.02 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.08 million people in 2024.
- How does Ethiopia rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Ethiopia ranks 4th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.