People using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): People using safely managed drinking water services, rural was 18.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
People using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 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
The most recent figure for people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 18.5%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 44.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 18.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2000.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 23rd of 27 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 safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of rural population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 7.4% | — |
| 2001 | 7.6% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 7.9% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 8.2% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 8.5% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 9.6% | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 10.0% | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 10.5% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 11.0% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 11.3% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 11.7% | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 12.2% | +4.3% |
| 2014 | 12.8% | +4.3% |
| 2015 | 13.3% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 13.9% | +4.1% |
| 2017 | 14.4% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 15.0% | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 15.6% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 16.8% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | +3.4% |
| 2024 | 18.5% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.4% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.1% | 11.0% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.2% | 18.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- People using safely managed drinking water services, rural in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 18.5% 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 safely managed drinking water services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 18.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest people using safely managed drinking water services, rural recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for people using safely managed drinking water services, rural?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 23rd out of 27 groups with data for 2024.
- Is people using safely managed drinking water services, rural rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.