People using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: People using at least basic drinking water services, urban was 86.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 86.5% for people using at least basic drinking water services, urban in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 86.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 76.9%, in 2000.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
People using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 76.9% | — |
| 2001 | 77.0% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 77.3% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 77.7% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 78.1% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 78.5% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.9% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 79.3% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 79.7% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 80.1% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 80.6% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 80.8% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 81.3% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 81.7% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 82.2% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 82.6% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 83.1% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 83.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 84.0% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 84.4% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 84.8% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 85.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 85.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 86.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 86.5% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.3% | 76.9% | 80.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.4% | 80.6% | 84.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.7% | 84.8% | 86.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 3.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0051 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, annual growth rate 3.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, male, per capita 0.0041 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 3.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- People using at least basic drinking water services, urban in Sub-Saharan Africa was 86.5% in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest people using at least basic drinking water services, urban recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 86.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using at least basic drinking water services, urban recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 76.9% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for people using at least basic drinking water services, urban?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people using at least basic drinking water services, urban rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of People using at least basic drinking water services, urban (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.