OECD members: People using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, OECD members' people using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) rose 0.07 percentage points on 2023 (from 97.2% to 97.26%).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +0.18 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.24 percentage points in 2014. 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 0.15 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 99% 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.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

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 20 values

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

• Afghanistan — 74.81% (2024)
• Algeria — 84.94% (2024)
• Djibouti — 62.49% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 96.27% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 94.79% (2024)
• Iraq — 94.83% (2024)
• Israel — 100% (2024)
• Jordan — 97.82% (2024)

More health data for OECD members

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.85% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 5.21% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 112.57 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 15.86% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 118.07 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 17.05% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 230.64 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 16.45% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 5.32% (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is OECD members's people using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population)?

97.26% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2005?

It is up 3.34 percentage points from 93.93% in 2005. The highest value was 97.26% in 2024 and the lowest 93.93% in 2005.

Is the latest change in people using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) unusual for OECD members?

In 2024, OECD members' people using at least basic drinking water services, rural (% of rural population) rose 0.07 percentage points on 2023 (from 97.2% to 97.26%). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (2006 to 2023), the average change was +0.18 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.04 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.H2O.BASW.RU.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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