People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Namibia

Namibia: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 176,687 people in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
176,687 people
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
77th
of 178 countries
All-time high
289,406 people
in 2000
All-time low
176,687 people
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Namibia, 2000–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k2000201220242000: 289.4k people2001: 287.9k people2002: 283.8k people2003: 278.4k people2004: 272.5k people2005: 266.4k people2006: 260.3k people2007: 254.3k people2008: 248.3k people2009: 242.5k people2010: 236.8k people2011: 231.4k people2012: 226.9k people2013: 223.1k people2014: 219.2k people2015: 215.2k people2016: 211.2k people2017: 207.2k people2018: 203.2k people2019: 199.1k people2020: 195.2k people2021: 191.3k people2022: 187.0k people2023: 182.1k people2024: 176.7k people

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 Namibia stood at 176,687 people. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Namibia peaked at 289,406 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 176,687 people, in 2024.

That places Namibia 77th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 268,373 people 242,513 people 289,406 people 10
2010s 217,319 people 199,121 people 236,782 people 10
2020s 186,452 people 176,687 people 195,213 people 5

Countries ranked near Namibia

  1. 74 Turkey 257,424 people compare
  2. 75 Kyrgyzstan 201,464 people compare
  3. 76 Iran 177,028 people compare
  4. 78 Solomon Islands 170,906 people compare
  5. 79 Moldova 166,372 people compare
  6. 80 Eswatini 164,869 people compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for Namibia

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Namibia?
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Namibia was 176,687 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 Namibia?
The highest recorded value was 289,406 people in 2000.
What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Namibia?
The lowest recorded value was 176,687 people in 2024.
How does Namibia rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
Namibia ranks 77th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Namibia?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Namibia 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

Indicator
People in rural areas not using an improved water source
Unit
people
Source
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 4,351 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.