Using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia
Somalia: Using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas was 83.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia, 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 at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia is 83.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia peaked at 83.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 64.8%, in 2000.
That places Somalia 171st 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 at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 64.8% | — |
| 2001 | 65.2% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 65.6% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 66.0% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 67.3% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 68.1% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 68.9% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 69.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 70.5% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 71.4% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 72.2% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 73.1% | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 73.9% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 74.8% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 75.6% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 76.5% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 77.4% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 78.2% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 79.1% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 80.0% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 80.9% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 81.8% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 82.7% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 83.6% | +1.1% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 83.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 86.0%, 97% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 83.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 87.8%, 95% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 67.3% | 64.8% | 70.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.2% | 71.4% | 79.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.8% | 80.0% | 83.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More environment data for Somalia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -28.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -24.06 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.278 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.53 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5029 % 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 -0.1376 % 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 using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia?
- Using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas in Somalia was 83.6% 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 at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 83.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.8% in 2000.
- How does Somalia rank for using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas?
- Somalia ranks 171st out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
- Is using at least basic drinking water sources in urban vs. rural areas rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia 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 at least basic drinking water sources 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 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.