People using at least: Q5 (highest) … drinking Q5 highest in Malawi
Malawi: People using at least: Q5 (highest) … drinking Q5 highest was 83.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising
People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in Malawi, 2000–2017
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org). Measured in highest.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 83.9% for people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in 2017. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in Malawi peaked at 83.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 75.7%, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 89th of 97 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
People using at least: Q5 (highest) … drinking Q5 highest in Malawi, year by year
| Year | highest | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 75.7% | — |
| 2001 | 76.2% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 76.7% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 77.2% | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 77.7% | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 78.1% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 78.6% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 79.1% | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 79.6% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 80.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 80.5% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 81.0% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 81.5% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 82.0% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 82.5% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.9% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 83.4% | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 83.9% | +0.6% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 83.9% is below the median for low income countries, which is 85.1%, 99% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 83.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 92.1%, 91% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77.9% | 75.7% | 80.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.2% | 80.5% | 83.9% | 8 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 86 Mauritania 86.9% compare
- 87 Ethiopia 85.1% compare
- 88 Democratic Republic of Congo 84.6% compare
- 90 Chad 83.5% compare
- 91 Sierra Leone 82.5% compare
- 92 Madagascar 81.5% compare
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in Malawi?
- People using at least basic drinking water services (% of) in Malawi was 83.9% in 2017, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org).
- What is the highest people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 83.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.7% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for people using at least basic drinking water services (% of)?
- Malawi ranks 89th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
- Is people using at least basic drinking water services (% of) rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), published as part of People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population): Q5 (highest). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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