Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania
Tanzania: Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas was 45.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 45.2% for using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.9% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania peaked at 45.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 2000.
Tanzania ranks 85th of 105 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.8% | — |
| 2001 | 5.8% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 6.0% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +48.2% |
| 2005 | 11.8% | +33.2% |
| 2006 | 14.8% | +25.5% |
| 2007 | 17.8% | +20.8% |
| 2008 | 21.0% | +17.6% |
| 2009 | 24.2% | +15.2% |
| 2010 | 27.4% | +13.5% |
| 2011 | 30.8% | +12.1% |
| 2012 | 34.2% | +11.0% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | +10.1% |
| 2014 | 40.9% | +8.8% |
| 2015 | 41.4% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 41.8% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 42.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 42.6% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 43.1% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 43.5% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 43.9% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 44.3% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 44.8% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 45.2% | +0.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 45.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 55.4%, 82% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 45.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.2%, 1.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +48.2% | 6.0% | 8.8% |
| 2005 | +33.2% | 8.8% | 11.8% |
| 2006 | +25.5% | 11.8% | 14.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.2% | 5.8% | 24.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.2% | 27.4% | 43.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.3% | 43.5% | 45.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 82 Dominican Republic 46.9% compare
- 83 Turks and Caicos Islands 46.5% compare
- 84 Pakistan 45.4% compare
- 86 Senegal 41.1% compare
- 87 Sao Tome and Principe 40.3% compare
- 88 Uganda 40.0% compare
More environment data for Tanzania
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.06 % 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 5.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania?
- Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in Tanzania was 45.2% 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 safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 45.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 2000.
- How does Tanzania rank for using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas?
- Tanzania ranks 85th out of 105 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas. 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 using an improved drinking water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination.