People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Nigeria
Nigeria: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 28.85 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 28.85 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.6% on the previous year and down 30.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Nigeria peaked at 51.29 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 28.85 million people, in 2024.
Nigeria ranks 3rd 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.79 million people | 45.84 million people | 51.29 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.67 million people | 35.61 million people | 45.04 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.59 million people | 28.85 million people | 34.30 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 350.56 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.51 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 56.75 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 8.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 75.63 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1661 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 175.13 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0267 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.5526 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 33.33 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Nigeria?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Nigeria was 28.85 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 51.29 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.85 million people in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.