Share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal
Nepal: Share of the population using improved water sources was 97.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal, 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 Nepal is 97.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal peaked at 97.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 80.9%, in 2000.
That places Nepal 149th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 80.9% | — |
| 2001 | 81.6% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 82.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 83.1% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 83.8% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 84.5% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 85.2% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 85.9% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 86.6% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 87.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 87.9% | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 88.6% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 89.3% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 90.0% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 90.6% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 91.3% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 92.0% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 92.6% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 93.3% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 93.9% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 94.6% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 95.2% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 95.8% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 96.4% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 97.1% | +0.6% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 97.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 92.0%, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 97.1% is below the median for South Asia, which is 98.8%, 98% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 84.1% | 80.9% | 87.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 91.0% | 87.9% | 93.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 95.8% | 94.6% | 97.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More environment data for Nepal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 41.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.54 % 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 -6.53 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal?
- Share of the population using improved water sources in Nepal was 97.1% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population using improved water sources recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.9% in 2000.
- How does Nepal rank for share of the population using improved water sources?
- Nepal ranks 149th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population using improved water sources rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.