SOTWStatistics of the World

Access to Clean Water by Country 2024

The share of people using at least basic drinking water: an improved source with a round trip to collect water of 30 minutes or less, with the share using safely managed water beside it.

45 countries share the highest share of people using at least basic drinking water, 100.0% (American Samoa, Andorra, Belgium, Bermuda and others). Next are Armenia (99.9%), Mauritius (99.9%), Spain (99.9%) and Saint Martin (99.9%). DR Congo has the lowest share of people using at least basic drinking water: 35.7% in 2024. The median across the 205 countries is 97.3%, counting each country once, so it is not a world average.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. 205 of 217 countries and territories have a figure. 202 of 205 countries show 2024; the other 3 show their latest available year (2020, 2021 or 2023).

Highest
100.0%
45 countries share it, 2024
Lowest
35.7%
DR Congo, 2024
Median
97.3%
Counting each country once, so it is not a world average
Coverage
205 of 217
Countries and territories with a figure; mostly 2024 data
Access to Clean Water by Country: 2024 Rankings: 205 countries and territories ranked by share of people using at least basic drinking water, with the year of each figure.
#CountryBasic water (% of people)YearSafely managed (% of people)Change since 2014 (pp)
1American Samoa100.0%202490.5%+1.7 pp
1Andorra100.0%202490.6%0.0 pp
1Belgium100.0%202499.5%0.0 pp
1Bermuda100.0%2024n/a0.0 pp
1Brunei100.0%2024n/a+0.1 pp
1Curaçao100.0%2024n/a0.0 pp
1Faroe Islands100.0%2024n/a0.0 pp
1French Polynesia100.0%202490.4%0.0 pp
1Germany100.0%202499.9%0.0 pp
1Gibraltar100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Greece100.0%202496.7%+0.0 pp
1Greenland100.0%2024n/a0.0 pp
1Hong Kong100.0%2024100.0%+0.3 pp
1Hungary100.0%2024100.0%+1.9 pp
1Iceland100.0%2024100.0%+0.0 pp
1Isle of Man100.0%202499.9%+1.2 pp
1Kuwait100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Liechtenstein100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Luxembourg100.0%202499.7%0.0 pp
1Macao100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Malta100.0%202499.8%+0.0 pp
1Monaco100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Netherlands100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1New Zealand100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1Northern Mariana Islands100.0%202481.5%+0.9 pp
1Norway100.0%202499.1%0.0 pp
1Puerto Rico100.0%202498.9%+0.7 pp
1Singapore100.0%2024100.0%0.0 pp
1South Korea100.0%202499.3%+0.7 pp
1Thailand100.0%2024n/a+1.8 pp
1United Arab Emirates100.0%202498.6%+0.1 pp
1Denmark100.0%202499.9%-0.0 pp
1Romania100.0%202482.2%-0.0 pp
1Israel100.0%202499.5%-0.0 pp
1United Kingdom100.0%202499.8%-0.0 pp
1Brazil100.0%202488.6%+2.5 pp
1France100.0%202499.7%+0.0 pp
1Austria100.0%202498.9%-0.0 pp
1Estonia100.0%202498.9%+0.5 pp
1Switzerland100.0%202496.7%-0.0 pp
1Finland100.0%202499.6%-0.0 pp
1San Marino100.0%2024100.0%-0.0 pp
1Qatar100.0%202495.3%+0.0 pp
1United States100.0%202497.6%+0.6 pp
1Australia100.0%2024n/a+0.0 pp
46Armenia99.9%202482.1%+0.9 pp
46Mauritius99.9%2024n/a+0.2 pp
46Spain99.9%202499.5%-0.0 pp
46Saint Martin99.9%202496.6%-0.1 pp
46Turkmenistan99.9%202494.9%+3.5 pp
46Bahrain99.9%202498.9%-0.0 pp
46Lithuania99.9%202496.7%+3.7 pp
46Italy99.9%202496.8%0.0 pp
46Croatia99.9%202487.3%+0.0 pp
46Belarus99.9%202493.1%+1.1 pp
46British Virgin Islands99.9%2024n/a0.0 pp
57Costa Rica99.8%202480.5%+0.9 pp
57Slovakia99.8%202499.6%-0.0 pp
57Sweden99.8%202499.8%+0.1 pp
57Maldives99.8%2024n/a+1.4 pp
61Cyprus99.7%202499.7%-0.1 pp
62Uruguay99.6%2024n/a+0.7 pp
62Paraguay99.6%202464.4%+6.8 pp
62Slovenia99.6%202499.6%-0.0 pp
65Bhutan99.5%202465.6%+3.9 pp
65Mexico99.5%202443.0%+2.5 pp
65New Caledonia99.5%202496.9%+1.6 pp
65Palau99.5%202490.8%+0.1 pp
65Guam99.5%202494.0%+0.0 pp
65U.S. Virgin Islands99.5%202498.7%+0.4 pp
71Samoa99.4%202462.5%+8.5 pp
72Portugal99.3%202495.2%+0.1 pp
72Jordan99.3%202489.0%+0.3 pp
72Montenegro99.3%202485.5%+1.8 pp
72Trinidad and Tobago99.3%202469.4%+1.3 pp
76Bulgaria99.2%202496.2%-0.2 pp
76Japan99.2%202498.7%+0.3 pp
76Barbados99.2%2024n/a+0.4 pp
79Chile99.1%202497.8%+1.1 pp
80Saudi Arabia99.0%2024n/a-0.0 pp
81Antigua and Barbuda98.9%2024n/a+0.5 pp
81Tonga98.9%202429.6%+0.1 pp
83Turks and Caicos Islands98.8%202447.0%n/a
83Bangladesh98.8%202459.1%+1.6 pp
83Latvia98.8%202497.0%+0.4 pp
83West Bank and Gaza98.8%202480.6%-0.2 pp
83Vietnam98.8%202458.6%+7.1 pp
88Tuvalu98.7%20248.7%-0.2 pp
88Czechia98.7%202498.1%+0.0 pp
90Iraq98.4%202459.8%+5.1 pp
91Canada98.3%202496.9%-0.6 pp
92North Macedonia98.2%202480.8%+0.6 pp
93St. Lucia98.1%2024n/a+3.2 pp
94Suriname98.0%202455.8%+2.7 pp
95Malaysia97.9%202494.7%+0.6 pp
95Iran97.9%202494.4%+1.2 pp
97Nauru97.8%202418.7%-0.3 pp
97Kazakhstan97.8%202491.5%+2.7 pp
99Seychelles97.7%202464.7%+1.7 pp
99Azerbaijan97.7%202457.8%+9.2 pp
101Dominican Republic97.5%202445.3%+1.8 pp
102Egypt97.3%202478.9%-0.7 pp
102Uzbekistan97.3%202481.9%+3.7 pp
102Georgia97.3%202470.5%+1.3 pp
105Ireland97.1%202496.1%+0.2 pp
105Colombia97.1%202474.3%+2.2 pp
107Dominica97.0%2024n/a+1.1 pp
108Russia96.9%202476.3%+0.3 pp
109Tunisia96.7%202465.0%+4.2 pp
110Libya96.4%2024n/a+2.7 pp
111China96.1%2024n/a+5.2 pp
111Bosnia and Herzegovina96.1%202486.4%+0.1 pp
113Türkiye96.0%2024n/a+0.9 pp
114Laos95.9%202435.2%+20.4 pp
114Philippines95.9%202448.5%+4.0 pp
116Honduras95.7%202465.5%+3.7 pp
116India95.7%202476.4%+6.7 pp
118Guyana95.6%202467.2%+2.4 pp
118Peru95.6%202449.4%+5.8 pp
118Fiji95.6%202442.1%+0.4 pp
121Cayman Islands95.5%2024n/a-0.3 pp
122Serbia95.4%202475.0%+2.5 pp
123Panama95.3%2024n/a+2.6 pp
124Cuba95.1%2024n/a+1.6 pp
124Albania95.1%202470.8%+2.1 pp
126Kyrgyzstan94.9%202473.9%+6.0 pp
127Belize94.8%2024n/a+2.0 pp
128Syria94.1%2024n/a+0.9 pp
129North Korea93.9%202366.6%-1.7 pp2014 to 2023
130Nepal93.6%202416.5%+5.5 pp
131Ukraine93.5%202487.9%+0.2 pp
132Bolivia93.4%2024n/a+4.5 pp
133Venezuela93.3%2024n/a-1.4 pp
134Guatemala93.2%202448.8%+2.2 pp
135Moldova92.7%202475.8%+4.3 pp
135Oman92.7%202491.1%+2.9 pp
137Lebanon92.6%202447.7%+1.9 pp
138Algeria92.4%202469.0%+1.2 pp
139Cabo Verde92.3%2024n/a+7.7 pp
140Morocco92.2%202480.0%+11.4 pp
141Ecuador92.1%202469.9%+2.2 pp
142Botswana91.8%202463.3%+4.7 pp
143El Salvador91.6%2024n/a+6.0 pp
144Pakistan90.7%202445.0%+1.2 pp
145Sri Lanka90.2%202446.9%+2.7 pp
145South Africa90.2%202468.0%-2.3 pp
147Poland90.1%202488.7%-5.4 pp
148Ghana89.9%202442.9%+10.3 pp
148Micronesia89.9%2020n/a-0.2 pp2014 to 2020
150Tajikistan89.2%202465.1%+12.4 pp
151Indonesia89.0%202430.5%+2.1 pp
152Gabon88.6%2024n/a+2.6 pp
153Senegal88.0%202427.2%+11.6 pp
154Jamaica87.6%2024n/a-3.3 pp
155Marshall Islands87.4%2024n/a-0.5 pp
156Timor-Leste87.3%2024n/a+17.1 pp
157Vanuatu87.1%202419.2%+0.6 pp
157The Gambia87.1%202448.2%+5.9 pp
159Namibia86.5%2024n/a+4.0 pp
160Mali86.4%2024n/a+14.4 pp
161Mongolia86.1%202443.4%+7.6 pp
162Myanmar85.7%202459.7%+14.1 pp
163Comoros85.1%2024n/a-1.1 pp
164Cambodia82.8%202430.0%+11.3 pp
165Nigeria82.2%202429.9%+15.7 pp
166Afghanistan80.8%202430.6%+22.6 pp
167Eswatini80.4%202438.2%+12.1 pp
168Djibouti79.7%2024n/a+2.3 pp
169Kiribati79.1%202415.1%+7.9 pp
170Liberia78.8%2024n/a+6.8 pp
171Lesotho78.1%202431.3%+5.8 pp
172Sao Tome and Principe78.0%202436.7%+2.9 pp
173Mauritania77.3%2024n/a+14.9 pp
174Côte d'Ivoire77.2%202436.4%+3.3 pp
175Somalia75.3%2024n/a+23.4 pp
176Yemen75.0%2024n/a+16.8 pp
177Guinea74.2%2024n/a+12.2 pp
178Republic of the Congo73.5%202145.9%+3.5 pp2014 to 2021
179Zambia73.4%2024n/a+10.8 pp
180Haiti73.3%2024n/a+6.7 pp
181Malawi73.1%202418.2%+7.9 pp
182Solomon Islands71.6%2024n/a-1.5 pp
183Cameroon71.4%2024n/a+5.4 pp
184Benin69.6%202417.7%+3.3 pp
185Sierra Leone68.1%202410.9%+11.7 pp
186Angola68.0%2024n/a+10.9 pp
187Zimbabwe67.2%202425.5%-0.2 pp
188Mozambique66.6%202427.5%+20.2 pp
189Burundi65.9%2024n/a+5.9 pp
190Kenya65.6%2024n/a+8.3 pp
191Sudan64.9%2024n/a+9.6 pp
192Togo64.8%202420.5%+5.9 pp
193Tanzania64.6%202431.3%+15.5 pp
194Uganda63.0%202418.1%+16.5 pp
195Guinea-Bissau61.8%202424.0%+1.6 pp
196Rwanda61.4%2024n/a+5.7 pp
197Ethiopia55.6%202413.5%+15.1 pp
198Madagascar55.3%202422.1%+7.9 pp
199Niger53.4%2024n/a+6.8 pp
200Papua New Guinea53.3%2024n/a+10.5 pp
201Chad52.2%20246.3%+5.1 pp
202Burkina Faso50.0%2024n/a-2.3 pp
203South Sudan39.7%2024n/a-0.5 pp
204Central African Republic36.5%20246.2%-6.8 pp
205DR Congo35.7%202411.9%-0.8 pp

Each figure is the latest available for that country, so rows can refer to different years; compare years before comparing values. n/a means the source has no figure for that country in that column. Values are rounded for display; the CSV download has full precision.

No figure: Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Channel Islands, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Grenada, Kosovo, Nicaragua, Sint Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

World map of share of people using at least basic drinking water, mostly 2024 data. Source: World Bank World Development Indicators.
Highest: American Samoa 100.0% (2024), Andorra 100.0% (2024), Belgium 100.0% (2024). Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. 38 ranked countries are too small for the map's outlines and drawn as a dot at the capital. Shapes show location only.
Embed this map
<a href="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/clean-water-by-country"><img src="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/maps/SH.H2O.BASW.ZS.svg" width="960" height="500" alt="World map of share of people using at least basic drinking water, mostly 2024 data. Source: World Bank World Development Indicators."></a>
<p>Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. Map: <a href="https://statisticsoftheworld.com/clean-water-by-country">Statistics of the World</a></p>

Then and now

The first 10 in each year, among the countries with a figure that year; the last column is the table above (mostly 2024 data).
#20142024
1Andorra (100.0%)American Samoa (100.0%)
2Australia (100.0%)Andorra (100.0%)
3Austria (100.0%)Belgium (100.0%)
4Belgium (100.0%)Bermuda (100.0%)
5Bermuda (100.0%)Brunei (100.0%)
6Curaçao (100.0%)Curaçao (100.0%)
7Denmark (100.0%)Faroe Islands (100.0%)
8Faroe Islands (100.0%)French Polynesia (100.0%)
9Finland (100.0%)Germany (100.0%)
10France (100.0%)Gibraltar (100.0%)

Somalia rose the most since 2014, +23.4 pp, among the 201 countries with figures for both 2014 and 2024. The Central African Republic fell the most, -6.8 pp.

Rose the most since 2014

  • Somalia: +23.4 pp
  • Afghanistan: +22.6 pp
  • Laos: +20.4 pp
  • Mozambique: +20.2 pp
  • Timor-Leste: +17.1 pp

Fell the most since 2014

  • Central African Republic: -6.8 pp
  • Poland: -5.4 pp
  • Jamaica: -3.3 pp
  • South Africa: -2.3 pp
  • Burkina Faso: -2.3 pp

From the change column: countries whose latest figure is for 2024 and that have a 2014 figure.

By region

share of people using at least basic drinking water by World Bank region: countries with a figure, highest, lowest and median.
RegionCountriesHighestLowestMedian, each country counted once
East Asia & Pacific3711 countries at 100.0%Papua New Guinea (53.3%)98.7%
Europe & Central Asia5624 countries at 100.0%Tajikistan (89.2%)99.9%
Latin America & Caribbean343 countries at 100.0%Haiti (73.3%)97.7%
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan235 countries at 100.0%Yemen (75.0%)97.3%
North America3Bermuda (100.0%) and United States (100.0%)Canada (98.3%)100.0%
South Asia6Maldives (99.8%)Sri Lanka (90.2%)97.3%
Sub-Saharan Africa46Mauritius (99.9%)DR Congo (35.7%)73.2%

Where major economies rank

  • United States: 100.0% in 2024, rank 1 of 205.
  • China: 96.1% in 2024, rank 111 of 205.
  • India: 95.7% in 2024, rank 116 of 205.
  • Japan: 99.2% in 2024, rank 76 of 205.
  • Germany: 100.0% in 2024, rank 1 of 205.
  • United Kingdom: 100.0% in 2024, rank 1 of 205.
  • France: 100.0% in 2024, rank 1 of 205.
  • Brazil: 100.0% in 2024, rank 1 of 205.
  • Canada: 98.3% in 2024, rank 91 of 205.
  • Nigeria: 82.2% in 2024, rank 165 of 205.

Compare these economies side by side

The 10 highest: share of people using at least basic drinking water

  1. American Samoa: 100.0% (2024)
  2. Andorra: 100.0% (2024)
  3. Belgium: 100.0% (2024)
  4. Bermuda: 100.0% (2024)
  5. Brunei: 100.0% (2024)
  6. Curaçao: 100.0% (2024)
  7. Faroe Islands: 100.0% (2024)
  8. French Polynesia: 100.0% (2024)
  9. Germany: 100.0% (2024)
  10. Gibraltar: 100.0% (2024)

The 10 lowest: share of people using at least basic drinking water

  1. DR Congo: 35.7% (2024)
  2. Central African Republic: 36.5% (2024)
  3. South Sudan: 39.7% (2024)
  4. Burkina Faso: 50.0% (2024)
  5. Chad: 52.2% (2024)
  6. Papua New Guinea: 53.3% (2024)
  7. Niger: 53.4% (2024)
  8. Madagascar: 55.3% (2024)
  9. Ethiopia: 55.6% (2024)
  10. Rwanda: 61.4% (2024)

About access to clean water

The figures come from the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, published by the World Bank. An improved source is one designed to protect water from contamination, such as piped water, boreholes, protected wells and springs, rainwater and packaged water.

Safely managed water is a higher standard: an improved source on the premises, available when needed and free from contamination. Fewer countries can measure it, so it has more missing figures than basic access.

About these figures

Definition. The percentage of people using at least basic water services. This indicator encompasses both people using basic water services as well as those using safely managed water services. Basic drinking water services is defined as drinking water from an improved source, provided collection time is not more than 30 minutes for a round trip. Improved water sources include piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water. (The publisher's definition of “People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population)”, copied from the World Bank (World Development Indicators) on 2026-09-07.)

Unit. % of population

Coverage. 205 of 217 countries and territories have a figure. 202 of 205 countries show 2024; the other 3 show their latest available year (2020, 2021 or 2023).

The median and any other summary on this page count each country once, so they are not world averages. Values are rounded for display; the CSV download has full precision.

The publisher revises past years when it updates the series, so a figure here can change after it first appears.

Questions about these figures

Which country has the highest share of people using at least basic drinking water?

45 countries share the highest share of people using at least basic drinking water, 100.0% (American Samoa, Andorra, Belgium, Bermuda and others). All 45 figures are for 2024. The figures come from the World Bank World Development Indicators.

Which country has the lowest share of people using at least basic drinking water?

DR Congo has the lowest share of people using at least basic drinking water: 35.7% in 2024.

How many countries are ranked, and for which years?

205 countries and territories have a figure in this ranking. 202 of 205 countries show 2024; the other 3 show their latest available year (2020, 2021 or 2023).

What is the median share of people using at least basic drinking water across countries?

The median is 97.3%: half of the 205 countries are above it and half below. The most common year of the figures is 2024. It counts each country once, so it is not a world average.

Which country's share of people using at least basic drinking water changed the most since 2014?

Among the 201 countries with figures for both 2014 and 2024, Somalia changed the most: +23.4 pp since 2014, to 75.3% in 2024.

Where does the United States rank on share of people using at least basic drinking water?

The United States ranks 1 of 205, at 100.0% in 2024.

Which country has the highest share of people using at least basic drinking water in each region?

South Asia: the Maldives (99.8%); Sub-Saharan Africa: Mauritius (99.9%). Figures are for 2024 unless another year is shown. Regions follow the World Bank's groups.

Use and cite this data

  • The download button above saves this table's rows as CSV, filtered and in the order shown. The API also serves this indicator as CSV: statisticsoftheworld.com/api/v1/rankings/SH.H2O.BASW.ZS?format=csv. It lists the stored latest figures highest first under the publisher's country names and can include the World aggregate, so its rows and ranks can differ from this table.
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Statistics of the World. Access to Clean Water by Country: 2024 Rankings. Data: World Bank World Development Indicators, figures for 2020 to 2024. https://statisticsoftheworld.com/clean-water-by-country