Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon
Cameroon: Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population was 94.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon, 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon is 94.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon peaked at 94.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 89.7%, in 2000.
That places Cameroon 168th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 89.7% | — |
| 2001 | 89.9% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 90.1% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 90.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 90.5% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 90.7% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 90.9% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 91.1% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 91.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 91.5% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 91.7% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 91.9% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 92.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 92.3% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 92.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 92.7% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 92.9% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 93.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 93.3% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 93.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 93.7% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 93.9% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 94.1% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 94.3% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 94.5% | +0.2% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 94.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 98.5%, 96% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 94.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 96.6%, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 90.6% | 89.7% | 91.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.6% | 91.7% | 93.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.1% | 93.7% | 94.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 165 Burkina Faso 95.1% compare
- 166 Nepal 95.0% compare
- 167 Solomon Islands 94.8% compare
- 169 Gambia 93.9% compare
- 170 Zambia 93.9% compare
- 171 Mozambique 93.8% compare
More environment data for Cameroon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.211 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6539 % 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 0.4385 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon?
- Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population in Cameroon was 94.5% 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 using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 94.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 89.7% in 2000.
- How does Cameroon rank for using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population?
- Cameroon ranks 168th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon 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 Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population. 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 who use an improved drinking water source, regardless of collection time. An improved drinking water source is a safely designed drinking water source and includes e.g. piped water, boreholes or tubewells and packaged or delivered water.