People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen
Yemen: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 3.47 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen, 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
Yemen recorded 3.47 million 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.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.8% on the previous year and down 44.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen peaked at 7.79 million people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 3.47 million people, in 2024.
That places Yemen 22nd 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.
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.44 million people | — |
| 2001 | 7.61 million people | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 7.79 million people | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 7.70 million people | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 7.60 million people | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 7.51 million people | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 7.42 million people | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 7.31 million people | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 7.20 million people | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 7.07 million people | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 6.93 million people | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 6.77 million people | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 6.59 million people | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 6.41 million people | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 6.21 million people | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 6.00 million people | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 5.78 million people | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 5.54 million people | -4.1% |
| 2018 | 5.29 million people | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 5.02 million people | -5.0% |
| 2020 | 4.74 million people | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 4.43 million people | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 4.12 million people | -7.0% |
| 2023 | 3.80 million people | -7.7% |
| 2024 | 3.47 million people | -8.8% |
Yemen compared with similar countries
- Yemen's 3.47 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 2.34 million people, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Yemen's 3.47 million people is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,074 people, 43.3× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.47 million people | 7.07 million people | 7.79 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.05 million people | 5.02 million people | 6.93 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.11 million people | 3.47 million people | 4.74 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
More environment data for Yemen
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -36.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -31.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 43.43 % change on previous year (1998)
- Standard Deviation 0.393 °C (1998)
- Temperature change 1.37 °C (1998)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
- 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 2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Yemen was 3.47 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 Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 7.79 million people in 2002.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.47 million people in 2024.
- How does Yemen rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Yemen ranks 22nd out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Yemen 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.