Share of the population using improved water sources in Canada
Canada: Share of the population using improved water sources was 98.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of the population using improved water sources in Canada, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population using improved water sources in Canada is 98.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using improved water sources in Canada peaked at 99.6% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 98.3%, in 2024.
That places Canada 127th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of the population using improved water sources in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 99.6% | — |
| 2001 | 99.6% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 99.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 99.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.5% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 99.2% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 99.2% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 99.1% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 99.0% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 99.0% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.9% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 98.8% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 98.8% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.6% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 98.5% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 98.4% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 98.4% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 98.3% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 98.3% | -0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 98.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 100.0%, 98% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 99.5% | 99.2% | 99.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.9% | 98.6% | 99.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.4% | 98.3% | 98.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 2.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.7 % 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 -0.3398 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using improved water sources in Canada?
- Share of the population using improved water sources in Canada was 98.3% 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 share of the population using improved water sources recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2004.
- What is the lowest share of the population using improved water sources recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.3% in 2024.
- How does Canada rank for share of the population using improved water sources?
- Canada ranks 127th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using improved water sources rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Canada 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 Share of the population using improved water sources. 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
Proportion of people who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.