People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Rwanda
Rwanda: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 2.17 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda is 2.17 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Rwanda peaked at 2.55 million people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.17 million people, in 2024.
That places Rwanda 30th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.48 million people | 2.44 million people | 2.55 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.44 million people | 2.36 million people | 2.49 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.25 million people | 2.17 million people | 2.33 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More environment data for Rwanda
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 8.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.5857 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 1.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.9152 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.9571 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0053 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 4.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0004 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0055 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Rwanda?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Rwanda was 2.17 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 2.55 million people in 2000.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.17 million people in 2024.
- How does Rwanda rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Rwanda ranks 30th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.