Korea, Rep.: People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 0.31 percentage points from 99.69% in 2019. Since 2002 it is up 1.23 percentage points from 98.77% in 2002.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s people using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) rose 0.02 percentage points on 2023 (from 99.98% to 100%).

Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.03 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.07 percentage points in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.07 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 100% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 100.24% for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.02%, against 0.13% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, Korea, Rep. had the 1st highest value of the 201 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Korea, Rep. in the 2024 ranking

• Iceland — 21st of 201: 100%
• Isle of Man — 22nd of 201: 100%
• Israel — 23rd of 201: 100%
• Kuwait — 25th of 201: 100%
• Liechtenstein — 26th of 201: 100%
• Luxembourg — 27th of 201: 100%

What this measures

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.

Limitations: National, regional and income group estimates are made when data are available for at least 50 percent of the population.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 23 values

People using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) in nearby economies

• American Samoa — 100% (2024)
• Australia — 99.97% (2024)
• Brunei Darussalam — 100% (2024)
• Cambodia — 82.85% (2024)
• China — 96.12% (2024)
• Fiji — 95.56% (2024)
• French Polynesia — 100% (2024)
• Guam — 99.53% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 100% (2024)
• Indonesia — 89.01% (2024)
• Japan — 99.18% (2024)
• Kiribati — 79.07% (2024)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 93.91% (2023)
• Lao PDR — 95.86% (2024)
• Macao SAR, China — 100% (2024)

More health data for Korea, Rep.

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 2.35% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 2.49% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 2.57 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 9.92% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 2.7 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 10.49% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 5.27 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 10.2% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 3.3% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population) — 3.48% (2025)
• Population ages 10-14, female (% of female population) — 4.28% (2025)
• Population ages 10-14, male (% of male population) — 4.52% (2025)
• Population ages 15-19, female (% of female population) — 4.32% (2025)
• Population ages 15-19, male (% of male population) — 4.62% (2025)
• Population ages 15-64, female — 17.45 million (2025)

Every indicator for Korea, Rep. is on the Korea, Rep. data page.

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Korea, Rep.'s people using at least basic drinking water services (% of population)?

100% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2002?

It is up 1.23 percentage points from 98.77% in 2002. The highest value was 100% in 2024 and the lowest 98.77% in 2002.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

1st highest of 201 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in people using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) unusual for Korea, Rep.?

In 2024, Korea, Rep.'s people using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) rose 0.02 percentage points on 2023 (from 99.98% to 100%). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2003 to 2023), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.03 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where is Korea, Rep.'s people using at least basic drinking water services (% of population) heading?

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.07 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 100% of the movement over 10 observed years. Extending that straight line gives about 100.24% for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.02%, against 0.13% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: washdata.org, publisher: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), date accessed: 2025-09-30, date published: 2025-08….

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.H2O.BASW.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: washdata.org, publisher: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (washdata.org), date accessed: 2025-09-30, date published: 2025-08… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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