Share of urban population using at least basic water services in India
India: Share of urban population using at least basic water services was 97.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of urban population using at least basic water services in India, 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 urban population using at least basic water services in India is 97.1%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population using at least basic water services in India peaked at 97.1% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 91.4%, in 2000.
That places India 113th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of urban population using at least basic water services in India, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 91.4% | — |
| 2001 | 91.6% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 91.8% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 92.1% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 92.3% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 92.6% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 92.8% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 93.0% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 93.3% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 93.5% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 93.7% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 94.0% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 94.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 94.5% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 94.7% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 94.9% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 95.2% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 95.4% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 95.7% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 95.9% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 96.1% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 96.4% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 96.6% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 96.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 97.1% | +0.3% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 97.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 94.4%, 1.0× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- India's 97.1% is below the median for South Asia, which is 98.2%, 99% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 92.4% | 91.4% | 93.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.8% | 93.7% | 95.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.6% | 96.1% | 97.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % 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 urban population using at least basic water services in India?
- Share of urban population using at least basic water services in India was 97.1% 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 urban population using at least basic water services recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of urban population using at least basic water services recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.4% in 2000.
- How does India rank for share of urban population using at least basic water services?
- India ranks 113th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of urban population using at least basic water services rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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 urban population using at least basic water services. 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, which is either located on their premises, or at a collection point, which takes no more than 30 minutes for a roundtrip.