Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Yemen
Yemen: Share of population not using improved drinking water sources was 9.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Yemen, 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 Yemen is 9.1%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 58.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Yemen peaked at 39.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.1%, in 2024.
That places Yemen 44th 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 Yemen, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39.6% | — |
| 2001 | 39.4% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 39.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 37.6% | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 36.1% | -4.0% |
| 2005 | 34.6% | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 33.1% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 31.7% | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 30.2% | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 28.8% | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 27.4% | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 25.9% | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 24.6% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 23.2% | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 21.8% | -5.9% |
| 2015 | 20.5% | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 19.1% | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 17.8% | -6.9% |
| 2018 | 16.5% | -7.3% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | -8.3% |
| 2021 | 12.8% | -8.9% |
| 2022 | 11.5% | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 10.3% | -10.4% |
| 2024 | 9.1% | -11.5% |
Yemen compared with similar countries
- Yemen's 9.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 16.7%, 55% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Yemen's 9.1% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.3%, 35.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.0% | 28.8% | 39.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.2% | 15.3% | 27.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.6% | 9.1% | 14.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
More environment data for Yemen
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -36.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -31.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 43.43 % change on previous year (1998)
- Standard Deviation 0.393 °C (1998)
- Temperature change 1.37 °C (1998)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
- 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 2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Yemen?
- Share of population not using improved drinking water sources in Yemen was 9.1% 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 Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 39.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of population not using improved drinking water sources recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.1% in 2024.
- How does Yemen rank for share of population not using improved drinking water sources?
- Yemen ranks 44th out of 231 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of population not using improved drinking water sources rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Yemen 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.