Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Canada
Canada: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 1.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of population not using improved drinking 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 population not using improved drinking water sources in Canada is 1.7%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 55.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Canada peaked at 1.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2004.
Canada ranks 105th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Canada, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.4% | — |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 0.4% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | +15.0% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | +13.1% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | +10.3% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +9.4% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | +8.6% |
| 2011 | 0.9% | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +7.5% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | +7.0% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | +6.5% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +5.5% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +5.0% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 1.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.0%, 224099.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 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)
- 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)
- 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 Canada?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Canada was 1.7% 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2004.
- How does Canada rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Canada ranks 105th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 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.