Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 13.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 13.8% for share of population not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.0% on the previous year and down 48.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria peaked at 47.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.8%, in 2024.
Nigeria ranks 31st of 231 countries on this measure, 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 47.0% | — |
| 2001 | 45.5% | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 44.0% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 42.5% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 41.0% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 39.5% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 38.0% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 36.5% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 35.1% | -4.0% |
| 2009 | 33.6% | -4.1% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 29.4% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 28.0% | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 26.6% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 25.3% | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 23.9% | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | -5.5% |
| 2018 | 21.3% | -5.8% |
| 2019 | 20.0% | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 18.7% | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 17.5% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | -7.1% |
| 2023 | 15.0% | -7.5% |
| 2024 | 13.8% | -8.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 13.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.0%, 1.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 13.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.3% | 33.6% | 47.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.0% | 20.0% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 13.8% | 18.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % 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 0.4617 % 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 Nigeria?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Nigeria was 13.8% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 47.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8% in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Nigeria ranks 31st out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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
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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.