Safely managed drinking water — all countries

Safely managed drinking water — High-income countries

Safely managed drinking water in high-income countries in 2024 — 95.4%. Since 2000, the indicator has risen by 2.8 pp.

2024 95.4% +0 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 95.4%2024
Period minimum 92.6%2000

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of population

Safely managed drinking water — High-income countries, 2000–202492939495962000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 92.6%2001: 92.7%2002: 93%2003: 93.1%2004: 93.2%2005: 93.7%2006: 93.8%2007: 93.9%2008: 94%2009: 94.1%2010: 94.2%2011: 94.3%2012: 94.4%2013: 94.5%2014: 94.6%2015: 94.7%2016: 94.8%2017: 94.9%2018: 95%2019: 95.1%2020: 95.2%2021: 95.2%2022: 95.3%2023: 95.4%2024: 95.4%
Change over the period: +2.8 pp Annual average: 0.12 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 95.4%
World 73.7%
Safely managed drinking water — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 95.4 +0 pp
2023 95.4 +0.1 pp
2022 95.3 +0.1 pp
2021 95.2 +0.1 pp
2020 95.2 +0.1 pp
2019 95.1 +0.1 pp
2018 95 +0.1 pp
2017 94.9 +0.1 pp
2016 94.8 +0.1 pp
2015 94.7 +0.1 pp
2014 94.6 +0.1 pp
2013 94.5 +0.1 pp
2012 94.4 +0.1 pp
2011 94.3 +0.1 pp
2010 94.2 +0.1 pp
2009 94.1 +0.1 pp
2008 94 +0.1 pp
2007 93.9 +0.1 pp
2006 93.8 +0.1 pp
2005 93.7 +0.5 pp
2004 93.2 +0.1 pp
2003 93.1 +0.1 pp
2002 93 +0.3 pp
2001 92.7 +0.1 pp
2000 92.6

About the indicator

The share of the population with safely managed drinking water — the top rung of the WHO and UNICEF ladder. Three requirements at once: the source is improved and located in the dwelling or on the plot, water is available when it is needed, and it is free of contamination. It is this indicator that is written into Sustainable Development Goal 6.1, whereas the better-known “basic access” requires only an improved source within half an hour's walk — the gap between the two measures in some countries exceeds forty percentage points.

Important: Stricter than basic access on three counts at once. There are fewer territories than for the basic indicator: testing for contamination requires laboratory data, which are not available everywhere.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.