Accessible data
Drinking-water data behind the story
World household service estimates. Counts are WSI calculations; percentages describe the stated population, not the access-gap population alone.
One access gap, four different service levels
World household drinking water, 2024. Safely managed: 73.7% of the population. The remaining 26.3% comprises basic only 17.8% (1.45 billion), limited 3.5% (287 million), unimproved 3.7% (302 million), and surface water 1.3% (106 million). Shares use the whole world population, not just the deficit. Counts are WSI calculations from JMP estimates.
| Service level | Share of world population (%) | People (millions, derived) | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safely managed | 73.67 | 6,011.6 | Improved source on premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. |
| Basic only | 17.81 | 1,453.0 | Improved source with collection within 30 minutes round trip, including queuing, but not classified as safely managed. |
| Limited | 3.52 | 287.3 | Improved source with collection taking more than 30 minutes round trip, including queuing. |
| Unimproved | 3.70 | 302.1 | Water from an unprotected dug well or unprotected spring. |
| Surface water | 1.30 | 106.3 | Water taken directly from a river, lake, pond, stream, dam or canal. |
An improved source is only the starting point
Safely managed drinking water requires an improved source plus three conditions: on the premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. These are overlapping requirements, not separate populations to add. Basic-only service uses an improved source within a 30-minute round trip including queuing, but is not classified as safely managed.
| Requirement | Meaning | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Improved source | Source design has the potential to deliver safe water. This alone is not proof of a safely managed service. | Conceptual definition; no numeric component shares and no additive scoring. |
| On the premises | Accessible at the home, yard or plot. | Required condition; overlaps with the other conditions. |
| Available when needed | Water is available when needed. | Required condition; not a separate population to add. |
| Free from contamination | Free from faecal and priority chemical contamination. | Required condition; not a claim that all households are individually tested. |
Global coverage rose; the access gap narrowed
World, 2015–2024. Safely managed drinking-water coverage rose from 67.7% to 73.7%. The population lacking this service fell from about 2.42 billion to 2.15 billion, a decline of about 267 million. Separate zero-based axes display a percentage and a derived headcount; the panels must not be added.
| Year | Residence | Safely managed (%) | Without safely managed (%) | Population (millions, derived) | Without service (millions, derived) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Total | 67.65 | 32.35 | 7,468.7 | 2,416.1 |
| 2016 | Total | 68.24 | 31.76 | 7,556.8 | 2,399.9 |
| 2017 | Total | 68.82 | 31.18 | 7,643.8 | 2,383.4 |
| 2018 | Total | 69.39 | 30.61 | 7,728.1 | 2,365.6 |
| 2019 | Total | 69.95 | 30.05 | 7,809.5 | 2,347.1 |
| 2020 | Total | 70.48 | 29.52 | 7,885.2 | 2,327.8 |
| 2021 | Total | 71.00 | 29.00 | 7,952.7 | 2,306.7 |
| 2022 | Total | 71.51 | 28.49 | 8,019.7 | 2,285.0 |
| 2023 | Total | 71.99 | 28.01 | 8,090.0 | 2,266.0 |
| 2024 | Total | 73.67 | 26.33 | 8,160.3 | 2,148.7 |
The global gap shrank — the urban gap grew
World household drinking water, 2015 versus 2024. Rural safely managed coverage rose from 49.9% to 60.4%; the rural population lacking the service fell from 1.73 to 1.37 billion. Urban coverage rose slightly, from 83.0% to 83.4%; the urban population lacking the service rose from 684 to 781 million. Headcounts are derived using JMP world population and urban shares. The increase is about 97 million; not a measure of migration or of individual transitions.
| Year | Residence | Safely managed (%) | Without safely managed (%) | Population (millions, derived) | Without service (millions, derived) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Rural | 49.89 | 50.11 | 3,457.5 | 1,732.5 |
| 2015 | Urban | 82.96 | 17.04 | 4,011.2 | 683.5 |
| 2016 | Rural | 50.73 | 49.27 | 3,462.9 | 1,706.1 |
| 2016 | Urban | 83.05 | 16.95 | 4,093.9 | 693.7 |
| 2017 | Rural | 51.57 | 48.43 | 3,467.6 | 1,679.2 |
| 2017 | Urban | 83.14 | 16.86 | 4,176.3 | 704.2 |
| 2018 | Rural | 52.43 | 47.57 | 3,470.9 | 1,651.2 |
| 2018 | Urban | 83.22 | 16.78 | 4,257.3 | 714.2 |
| 2019 | Rural | 53.27 | 46.73 | 3,472.7 | 1,622.7 |
| 2019 | Urban | 83.30 | 16.70 | 4,336.8 | 724.3 |
| 2020 | Rural | 54.11 | 45.89 | 3,472.4 | 1,593.3 |
| 2020 | Urban | 83.36 | 16.64 | 4,412.8 | 734.4 |
| 2021 | Rural | 54.95 | 45.05 | 3,468.3 | 1,562.4 |
| 2021 | Urban | 83.40 | 16.60 | 4,484.4 | 744.2 |
| 2022 | Rural | 55.81 | 44.19 | 3,462.8 | 1,530.2 |
| 2022 | Urban | 83.44 | 16.56 | 4,556.9 | 754.7 |
| 2023 | Rural | 56.64 | 43.36 | 3,458.3 | 1,499.7 |
| 2023 | Urban | 83.46 | 16.54 | 4,631.7 | 766.2 |
| 2024 | Rural | 60.40 | 39.60 | 3,453.9 | 1,367.7 |
| 2024 | Urban | 83.41 | 16.59 | 4,706.4 | 780.9 |