Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in United States
United States: Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas was 97.7% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in United States, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United States recorded 97.7% for using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in United States peaked at 97.7% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 96.4%, in 2000.
United States ranks 20th of 105 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 96.4% | 96.4% | 96.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.9% | 96.5% | 97.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.6% | 97.4% | 97.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
More environment data for United States
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 5,913 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 17.39 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 257.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 9.47 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 418.87 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 1.54 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 843.36 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 2 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 3.59 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 149.52 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in United States?
- Using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas in United States was 97.7% 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 97.7% in 2023.
- What is the lowest using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.4% in 2000.
- How does United States rank for using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas?
- United States ranks 20th out of 105 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using safely managed drinking water in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United States 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 faecal and priority chemical contamination.