People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zambia
Zambia: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 3.56 million people in 2024. ▼ Falling
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 3.56 million people, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 3.1% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zambia peaked at 4.54 million people in 2008 and was at its lowest, 3.56 million people, in 2024.
Zambia ranks 21st of 178 countries on this measure, 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 | 4.53 million people | 4.52 million people | 4.54 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.34 million people | 4.07 million people | 4.53 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.78 million people | 3.56 million people | 3.98 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 18 Papua New Guinea 4.02 million people compare
- 19 Burkina Faso 3.92 million people compare
- 20 Cote d'Ivoire 3.75 million people compare
- 22 Yemen 3.47 million people compare
- 23 Sudan 3.05 million people compare
- 24 Cameroon 3.03 million people compare
More environment data for Zambia
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 38.52 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.81 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 6.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.21 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 8.56 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0539 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 18.28 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0026 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0155 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.04 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zambia?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zambia was 3.56 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.54 million people in 2008.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.56 million people in 2024.
- How does Zambia rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Zambia ranks 21st out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.