Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana
Botswana: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 4.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana stood at 4.0%. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana peaked at 4.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2012.
That places Botswana 72nd out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.9% | — |
| 2001 | 3.9% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 3.9% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 3.8% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 3.7% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 3.7% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 3.8% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 3.9% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 3.9% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 4.0% | +1.1% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 4.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.2%, 3.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 4.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 27% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.9% | 3.8% | 4.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More environment data for Botswana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 6.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.381 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.443 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -4.05 % 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 0.3323 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Botswana was 4.0% 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 population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2012.
- How does Botswana rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Botswana ranks 72nd out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana 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 population not using improved drinking 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 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.