People using safely managed drinking water services, rural (%) in Lesotho
Lesotho: People using safely managed drinking water services, rural (%) was 14.3% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
People using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Lesotho, 2000–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of rural population.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 14.3% for people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.9% on the previous year and up 79.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Lesotho peaked at 14.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2000.
That places Lesotho 68th out of 85 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People using safely managed drinking water services, rural (%) in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.2% | — |
| 2001 | 0.7% | +334.8% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | +78.0% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | +44.4% |
| 2004 | 2.3% | +31.1% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | +24.0% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | +19.6% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +16.6% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +14.4% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | +12.7% |
| 2010 | 5.6% | +11.4% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 6.8% | +9.5% |
| 2013 | 7.4% | +8.8% |
| 2014 | 8.0% | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 9.2% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 9.8% | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 10.4% | +6.4% |
| 2019 | 11.0% | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 12.3% | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 13.0% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 13.6% | +5.1% |
| 2024 | 14.3% | +4.9% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 14.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.7%, 60% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 14.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.1%, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People using safely managed drinking water services, rural (%) in Lesotho changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +334.8% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 2002 | +78.0% | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| 2003 | +44.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.6% | 0.2% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 5.6% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 11.7% | 14.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More health data for Lesotho
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.05 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4669 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 382 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2020)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.8108 % 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 0.0548 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7473 % 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 0.0557 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Lesotho?
- People using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Lesotho was 14.3% 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 safely managed drinking water services, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 14.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using safely managed drinking water services, rural recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2000.
- How does Lesotho rank for people using safely managed drinking water services, rural?
- Lesotho ranks 68th out of 85 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people using safely managed drinking water services, rural rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho 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 safely managed drinking water services, rural (% of rural population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people using drinking water from an improved source that is accessible on premises, available when needed and free from fecal and priority chemical contamination. Improved water sources include piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water.