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Indicators · Infrastructure

Basic drinking water

Share of people using at least a basic improved drinking water source within a 30-minute round trip.

Why it matters

Shows the gap in basic services and the opportunity in water utilities, treatment and distribution.

Read with care

Access does not guarantee continuous supply or safe quality.

Source

World Bank

% of population. 54 African countries, 2000 to 2024.

Water access: highest in Mauritius, lowest in DRC

Basic drinking water, % of population. Latest year available, 2024. 16 of 16 countries have data.

40%
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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: water accessiWhy it mattersShows the gap in basic services and the opportunity in water utilities, treatment and distribution.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%20%40%60%80%100%Mauritius99.9%Seychelles97.7%Botswana91.8%South Africa90.2%Namibia86.5%Comoros85.1%Eswatini80.4%Lesotho78.1%Zambia73.4%Malawi73.1%Angola68.0%Zimbabwe67.2%Mozambique66.6%Tanzania64.6%Madagascar55.3%DRC35.7%median 75.7%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 75.7%Lowest: DRC 35.7%Highest: Mauritius 99.9%

Over time

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Basic drinking water against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Water accessDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZambia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Mauritius99.9%2024little changed since 2019A
2Seychelles97.7%2024up 0.9 points since 2019A
3Botswana91.8%2024up 0.3 points since 2019A
4South Africa90.2%2024down 1.2 point since 2019A
5Namibia86.5%2024up 2.0 points since 2019A
6Comoros85.1%2024down 0.5 points since 2019A
7Eswatini80.4%2024up 6.1 points since 2019A
8Lesotho78.1%2024up 2.9 points since 2019A
9Zambia73.4%2024up 5.3 points since 2019A
10Malawi73.1%2024up 4.0 points since 2019A
11Angola68.0%2024up 3.8 points since 2019A
12Zimbabwe67.2%2024little changed since 2019A
13Mozambique66.6%2024up 10.4 points since 2019A
14Tanzania64.6%2024up 7.7 points since 2019A
15Madagascar55.3%2024up 3.9 points since 2019A
16DRC35.7%2024little changed since 2019A