Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 8.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sri Lanka, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sri Lanka recorded 8.5% for share of population not using improved drinking water sources in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sri Lanka peaked at 14.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2024.
Sri Lanka ranks 46th 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.5% | — |
| 2001 | 14.2% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 13.9% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 13.7% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 13.2% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 12.7% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 12.4% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 12.2% | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 11.2% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 10.9% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 10.4% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 10.1% | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 9.6% | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 9.4% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 9.1% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 8.6% | -3.0% |
| 2024 | 8.5% | -0.2% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 8.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.2%, 7.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 8.5% is above the median for South Asia, which is 1.2%, 7.1× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.3% | 12.2% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.8% | 9.6% | 11.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.9% | 8.5% | 9.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 5.63 % 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 1.22 % 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 Sri Lanka?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Sri Lanka was 8.5% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2024.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Sri Lanka ranks 46th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.