People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Pakistan
Pakistan: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 9.83 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Pakistan, 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
Pakistan recorded 9.83 million people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and down 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Pakistan peaked at 13.75 million people in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.63 million people, in 2022.
Pakistan ranks 10th 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.73 million people | — |
| 2001 | 13.75 million people | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 13.71 million people | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 13.64 million people | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 13.59 million people | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 13.51 million people | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 13.43 million people | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 13.36 million people | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 13.30 million people | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 13.20 million people | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 13.08 million people | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 12.92 million people | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 12.71 million people | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 12.45 million people | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 12.17 million people | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 11.87 million people | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 11.55 million people | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 11.23 million people | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 10.92 million people | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 10.61 million people | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 10.30 million people | -3.0% |
| 2021 | 9.98 million people | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 9.63 million people | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 9.73 million people | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 9.83 million people | +1.0% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 9.83 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 796,634 people, 12.3× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 9.83 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,074 people, 122.8× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.52 million people | 13.20 million people | 13.75 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.95 million people | 10.61 million people | 13.08 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.89 million people | 9.63 million people | 10.30 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.7034 % 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 3.1 % 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 Pakistan?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Pakistan was 9.83 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 13.75 million people in 2001.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.63 million people in 2022.
- How does Pakistan rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Pakistan ranks 10th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.