People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: People in rural areas not using an improved water source was 2.95 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe, 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
In 2024, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe stood at 2.95 million people. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe peaked at 2.95 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 2.73 million people, in 2002.
That places Zimbabwe 25th out of 178 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.75 million people | 2.73 million people | 2.79 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.88 million people | 2.81 million people | 2.92 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.94 million people | 2.93 million people | 2.95 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 30.78 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.85 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 9.2 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 1.05 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.9067 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0093 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 12.79 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0022 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0156 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe?
- People in rural areas not using an improved water source in Zimbabwe was 2.95 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 2.95 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people in rural areas not using an improved water source recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.73 million people in 2002.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for people in rural areas not using an improved water source?
- Zimbabwe ranks 25th out of 178 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people in rural areas not using an improved water source rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.
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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.