Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea
Eritrea: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 30.6% in 2016. ▬ Flat
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea, 2000–2016
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2016, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea stood at 30.6%. That is the lowest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea peaked at 31.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 30.6%, in 2016.
Eritrea ranks 7th of 231 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 31.3% | — |
| 2001 | 31.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 31.4% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 31.4% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 31.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 31.4% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 31.4% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 31.3% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 31.3% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 31.4% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 31.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 31.6% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 31.6% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 31.4% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 31.1% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 30.8% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 30.6% | -0.9% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 30.6% is above the median for low income countries, which is 16.7%, 1.8× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 30.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.4% | 31.3% | 31.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.2% | 30.6% | 31.6% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 4 Central African Republic 36.7% compare
- 5 Chad 35.2% compare
- 6 Equatorial Guinea 32.4% compare
- 8 Niger 29.8% compare
- 9 Kenya 25.6% compare
- 10 Mozambique 24.7% compare
More environment data for Eritrea
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -12.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.14 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 57.1 % change on previous year (2023)
- Standard Deviation 0.531 °C (2023)
- Temperature change 0.012 °C (2023)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6471 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2011)
- 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 0.3665 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2011)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eritrea was 30.6% in 2016, 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 31.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.6% in 2016.
- How does Eritrea rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Eritrea ranks 7th out of 231 countries with data for 2016.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.
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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.