People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Moldova
Moldova: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 166,372 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Moldova, 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 Moldova is 166,372 people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.6% on the previous year and down 46.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Moldova peaked at 590,862 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 166,372 people, in 2024.
Moldova ranks 79th 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 Moldova, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 590,862 people | — |
| 2001 | 573,714 people | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 556,365 people | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 538,963 people | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 521,441 people | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 501,202 people | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 478,544 people | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 456,053 people | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 433,828 people | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 411,953 people | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 390,498 people | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 369,515 people | -5.4% |
| 2012 | 349,071 people | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 329,229 people | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 310,644 people | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 293,337 people | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 276,836 people | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 261,013 people | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 245,788 people | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 230,683 people | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 215,677 people | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 200,833 people | -6.9% |
| 2022 | 190,162 people | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 179,993 people | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 166,372 people | -7.6% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 166,372 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 40,286 people, 4.1× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 166,372 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1,044 people, 159.4× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 506,292 people | 411,953 people | 590,862 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 305,661 people | 230,683 people | 390,498 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 190,607 people | 166,372 people | 215,677 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More environment data for Moldova
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0661 % 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 -0.0108 % 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 0.8634 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.92 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Moldova?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Moldova was 166,372 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 Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 590,862 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 166,372 people in 2024.
- How does Moldova rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Moldova ranks 79th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Moldova 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.