Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini
Eswatini: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 13.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini, 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 Eswatini is 13.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.1% on the previous year and down 47.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini peaked at 42.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 2024.
That places Eswatini 36th out of 231 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 42.2% | — |
| 2001 | 41.0% | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 39.9% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 38.8% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 37.6% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 36.5% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 35.4% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 34.2% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 33.0% | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 31.7% | -3.8% |
| 2010 | 30.5% | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 29.2% | -4.1% |
| 2012 | 28.0% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 26.8% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 25.6% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 24.3% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 23.1% | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 21.9% | -5.2% |
| 2018 | 20.7% | -5.5% |
| 2019 | 19.5% | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 18.3% | -6.2% |
| 2021 | 17.1% | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 15.9% | -7.0% |
| 2023 | 14.7% | -7.5% |
| 2024 | 13.5% | -8.1% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 13.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.0%, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 13.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 91% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.0% | 31.7% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 19.5% | 30.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 13.5% | 18.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
More environment data for Eswatini
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.321 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.2772 % 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 -2.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Eswatini was 13.5% 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 Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 42.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 2024.
- How does Eswatini rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Eswatini ranks 36th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini 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.