People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Myanmar
Myanmar: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 6.70 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Myanmar, 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 Myanmar is 6.70 million people, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Myanmar peaked at 13.55 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.66 million people, in 2021.
Myanmar ranks 14th of 178 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.55 million people | — |
| 2001 | 13.29 million people | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 13.03 million people | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 12.75 million people | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 12.46 million people | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 12.16 million people | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 11.84 million people | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 11.52 million people | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 11.18 million people | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 10.83 million people | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 10.51 million people | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 10.18 million people | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 9.86 million people | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 9.53 million people | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 9.20 million people | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 8.86 million people | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 8.51 million people | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 8.15 million people | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 7.79 million people | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 7.42 million people | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 7.04 million people | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 6.66 million people | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 6.68 million people | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 6.69 million people | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 6.70 million people | +0.1% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 6.70 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 796,634 people, 8.4× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 6.70 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 142,459 people, 47.0× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.26 million people | 10.83 million people | 13.55 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.00 million people | 7.42 million people | 10.51 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.75 million people | 6.66 million people | 7.04 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % 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 Myanmar?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Myanmar was 6.70 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 13.55 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.66 million people in 2021.
- How does Myanmar rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Myanmar ranks 14th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.