Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran
Iran: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 0.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran, 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 Iran is 0.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 27.9% on the previous year and down 81.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran peaked at 3.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2024.
Iran ranks 150th of 231 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.6% | — |
| 2001 | 3.4% | -5.3% |
| 2002 | 3.2% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | -6.2% |
| 2007 | 2.4% | -6.3% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -6.5% |
| 2009 | 2.1% | -6.7% |
| 2010 | 1.9% | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | -7.7% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -8.1% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -8.6% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -9.2% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -11.6% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | -12.7% |
| 2020 | 0.7% | -14.2% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | -16.1% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | -18.7% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -22.3% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | -27.9% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 0.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.2%, 21% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 0.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.3%, 1.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | -27.9% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.1% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 147 Martinique 0.4% compare
- 148 Saudi Arabia 0.3% compare
- 149 Cyprus 0.3% compare
- 151 Sweden 0.2% compare
- 152 Oman 0.2% compare
- 153 North Macedonia 0.2% compare
More environment data for Iran
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -30.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.4 % 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 1.9 % 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 -0.0807 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Iran was 0.3% 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2024.
- How does Iran rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Iran ranks 150th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 81.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran 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.