Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water was 80.1% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 80.1% for share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka peaked at 91.8% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 80.1%, in 2023.
Sri Lanka ranks 45th of 105 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 86.5% | — |
| 2001 | 86.5% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 86.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 86.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 86.6% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 86.6% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 87.0% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 87.4% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 87.9% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 88.3% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 88.7% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 89.2% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 89.6% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 90.0% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 90.5% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 90.9% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 91.3% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 91.8% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 91.7% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 89.4% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 87.0% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 84.7% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 82.4% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 80.1% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 80.1% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 87.0% | 86.5% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 90.3% | 88.7% | 91.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.9% | 80.1% | 87.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 42 Serbia 81.6% compare
- 43 Kyrgyzstan 81.0% compare
- 44 Costa Rica 80.4% compare
- 46 Honduras 78.4% compare
- 47 North Korea 77.0% compare
- 48 Eswatini 76.9% compare
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate 15.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0191 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 2.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka?
- Share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water in Sri Lanka was 80.1% 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 urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 91.8% in 2017.
- What is the lowest share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.1% in 2023.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water?
- Sri Lanka ranks 45th out of 105 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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 urban and rural population using safely managed drinking water. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Proportion of people using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.