People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Malaysia
Malaysia: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 312,661 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Malaysia, 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
The most recent figure for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Malaysia is 312,661 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Malaysia peaked at 618,165 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 312,661 people, in 2024.
That places Malaysia 69th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Malaysia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 618,165 people | — |
| 2001 | 607,104 people | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 595,951 people | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 584,295 people | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 572,150 people | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 559,667 people | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 546,838 people | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 533,634 people | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 519,957 people | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 505,771 people | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 491,006 people | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 477,873 people | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 464,908 people | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 452,048 people | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 439,241 people | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 426,596 people | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 414,145 people | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 401,911 people | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 389,634 people | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 377,179 people | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 364,013 people | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 350,508 people | -3.7% |
| 2022 | 337,514 people | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 324,951 people | -3.7% |
| 2024 | 312,661 people | -3.8% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 312,661 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40,286 people, 7.8× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 312,661 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 142,459 people, 2.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 564,353 people | 505,771 people | 618,165 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 433,454 people | 377,179 people | 491,006 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 337,929 people | 312,661 people | 364,013 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More environment data for Malaysia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % 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 Malaysia?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Malaysia was 312,661 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 618,165 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 312,661 people in 2024.
- How does Malaysia rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Malaysia ranks 69th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.