People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Panama
Panama: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 130,148 people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Panama, 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
Panama recorded 130,148 people for people in rural areas not using an improved water source in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.4% on the previous year and down 34.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Panama peaked at 259,113 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 130,148 people, in 2024.
Panama ranks 82nd 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 Panama, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 259,113 people | — |
| 2001 | 255,785 people | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 252,301 people | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 248,649 people | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 244,852 people | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 240,885 people | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 236,720 people | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 232,393 people | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 227,906 people | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 223,261 people | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 218,454 people | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 213,451 people | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 208,258 people | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 202,853 people | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 197,257 people | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 191,508 people | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 185,605 people | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 179,521 people | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 173,225 people | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 166,657 people | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 159,626 people | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 152,257 people | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 144,922 people | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 137,590 people | -5.1% |
| 2024 | 130,148 people | -5.4% |
Panama compared with similar countries
- Panama's 130,148 people is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 48,260 people, 2.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 242,186 people | 223,261 people | 259,113 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 193,679 people | 166,657 people | 218,454 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 144,909 people | 130,148 people | 159,626 people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Panama
More environment data for Panama
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.66 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 0.274 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.86 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.41 % 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 -0.2493 % 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 Panama?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Panama was 130,148 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 Panama?
- The highest recorded value was 259,113 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Panama?
- The lowest recorded value was 130,148 people in 2024.
- How does Panama rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Panama ranks 82nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Panama?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Panama 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.