1 in 4 people still lack safe drinking water – WHO, UNICEF

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

One in four people around the world — about 2.1 billion individuals — still lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to a new joint report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which warns that global inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) threaten the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) report, Progress on Household Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2000–2024: Special Focus on Inequalities, reveals that despite notable progress since 2015, billions of people remain excluded from essential WASH services, exposing them to health risks, economic burdens and social marginalization.

The findings show that the world is not on track to achieve universal coverage of basic WASH services by 2030, and that achieving universal access to safely managed water and sanitation is “increasingly out of reach.”

Meeting SDG target 6.1, which focuses on safely managed drinking water, would require an eight‑fold acceleration in the global rate of progress, while achieving universal basic drinking water access would require a three‑fold increase in progress rates.

Similarly, achieving universal basic hygiene coverage — linked to SDG targets 1.4 and 6.2b — would need the pace of improvement to double worldwide.

The report notes that estimates for all three SDG global indicators — safely managed drinking water, safely managed sanitation, and basic hygiene — are now available for over 50 percent of the world’s population, making them Tier 1 indicators in the global SDG database.

DRINKING WATER SERVICES

In 2024, around 2.1 billion people continued to live without safely managed drinking water, including 106 million who drink directly from untreated surface sources such as rivers and lakes.

Within that total, 1.4 billion people had only basic services, 287 million had limited services, 302 million used unimproved sources, and 106 million relied entirely on surface water.

By contrast, the region of Australia and New Zealand has already achieved universal access to basic drinking water, and Latin America and the Caribbean is projected to reach universal access by 2030.

The report’s data, available for 160 countries, covers about 72 percent of the global population.

SANITATION SERVICES

Globally, 3.4 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation services.

Overall coverage in 2024 reached 58 percent, divided between 49 percent in rural areas and 66 percent in urban areas.

Since 2015, 1.2 billion people have gained access to safely managed sanitation, raising global coverage from 48 to 58 percent.

Meanwhile, the population practicing open defecation decreased by 429 million, though 354 million people continue to practice it — mostly in rural and low‑income settings.

Open defecation has been almost eradicated in urban areas, falling below 1 percent, but the practice persists where infrastructure gaps remain.

The JMP report also notes that improved on‑site sanitation systems such as septic tanks and latrines are expanding faster than sewer connections, especially in rural areas.

Data coverage for safely managed sanitation extends to 145 countries, encompassing about 86 percent of the global population.

HYGIENE SERVICES

In 2024, approximately 1.7 billion people still lacked basic hygiene facilities at home — defined as a handwashing station with soap and water — including 611 million people who have no facility at all.

Global basic hygiene coverage stood at 80 percent, with 71 percent in rural areas and 86 percent in urban zones.

Since 2015, about 1.6 billion people have gained access to basic hygiene services, marking one of the fastest‑growing WASH improvements.

However, the report notes that while rural hygiene coverage rose sharply from 52 percent to 71 percent between 2015 and 2024, urban coverage has largely stagnated.

Data for basic hygiene services are available for 91 countries, representing about 71 percent of the world’s population.

MENSTRUAL HEALTH

For the first time, the JMP report includes new global indicators on menstrual health (MH), focusing on the needs and experiences of adolescent girls and women aged 15 to 49.

While most respondents reported using menstrual materials, many said they lacked sufficient supplies to change as often as necessary, raising health and dignity concerns.

The data also reveal that adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) were less likely than older women to participate in work, school and social activities during menstruation.

Girls and women in rural and low‑income settings were more likely to use reusable menstrual materials but less likely to have improved water sources at home — a key need for washing and maintaining hygiene.

Estimates for at least one menstrual health indicator were available for 70 countries.

INEQUALITIES AND VULNERABILITIES

A major theme of the report is inequality.

People in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are more than twice as likely to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services and more than three times as likely to lack basic hygiene compared with those in higher‑income nations.

Countries in fragile contexts — those experiencing conflict, instability, or weak institutions — show particularly low coverage levels, with safely managed drinking water 38 percentage points lower, sanitation 33 points lower, and hygiene 37 points lower than global averages.

Urban‑rural gaps also persist: rural areas have seen progress in safely managed drinking water coverage, rising from 50 percent to 60 percent since 2015, and in basic hygiene, from 52 percent to 71 percent, but urban improvements have plateaued.

Subnational data reveal striking disparities across income groups, geography and gender.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected, often bearing responsibility for water collection — in some regions, spending over 30 minutes per day fetching water.

The report warns that inadequate WASH services remain a major risk factor for cholera: from 2015 to 2023, 97 percent of reported cholera cases occurred in countries with less than 75 percent basic water coverage and less than 60 percent sanitation coverage.

EXPERT INSIGHTS

“Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges, they are basic human rights,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director a.i., Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO.

“We must accelerate action, especially for the most marginalised communities, if we are to keep our promise to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”

“When children lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, their health, education and futures are put at risk,” said Cecilia Scharp, UNICEF Director of WASH.

“These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation,” she added.

“At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach — reminding us that we must act faster and more boldly to reach those who need it most.”

THE ROAD TO 2030

The JMP report situates its findings within the broader framework of Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

Since 2015, about 961 million people have gained access to safely managed drinking water, 1.2 billion to safely managed sanitation and 1.6 billion to basic hygiene services.

However, these gains remain unevenly distributed and insufficient to meet global targets.

To achieve universal coverage, the rate of progress must accelerate dramatically — eight‑fold for water, six‑fold for sanitation, and two‑fold for hygiene — compared to current trends.

The report also stresses that the world cannot rely on aggregate progress alone.

Even as global coverage increases, millions of marginalized populations remain left behind — particularly those living in rural areas, informal urban settlements, fragile states and low‑income countries.

REGIONAL TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS

While Australia and New Zealand have achieved universal access to basic drinking water, and Latin America and the Caribbean are on track to do so by 2030, much of sub‑Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of the Middle East lag far behind.

In these regions, challenges such as rapid urbanization, population growth, weak infrastructure, and the growing impacts of climate change are putting additional stress on already fragile water systems.

The report notes that climate‑induced droughts, floods and contamination events are increasingly undermining the reliability and safety of water supplies, further widening global inequality.

WHY SAFELY MANAGED SERVICES MATTER

The JMP defines safely managed drinking water as water from an improved source that is available on premises, when needed, and free from contamination.

Safely managed sanitation refers to improved facilities not shared with other households and where excreta are safely disposed of or treated.

Basic hygiene involves having soap and water available for handwashing at home.

These distinctions are essential, the report emphasizes, because “improved” does not always mean “safe.”

Access to safely managed services correlates strongly with lower disease rates, improved nutrition, and better educational and economic outcomes.

THE GENDER DIMENSION

The report also highlights how inadequate WASH services reinforce gender inequality.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by water scarcity and poor sanitation, bearing the burden of collection, caregiving and menstrual health challenges.

In many low‑income countries, girls miss school during menstruation due to lack of private, clean facilities, perpetuating educational and economic disadvantages.

The inclusion of menstrual health indicators in the 2024 report represents a step toward integrating gender‑responsive WASH data into global policy frameworks.

POLICY AND ACTION PRIORITIES

To close existing gaps, the WHO and UNICEF call for accelerated investments, stronger governance and inclusive monitoring systems.

Governments are urged to prioritize WASH in national budgets and pandemic‑preparedness plans, as safe water, sanitation and hygiene remain the first line of defense against infectious diseases.

Targeted programs are also needed in fragile contexts, where coverage levels lag by dozens of percentage points behind global averages.

Integrated efforts addressing both infrastructure and behavior — such as community education, women’s leadership and menstrual health inclusion — can help ensure sustainable, equitable outcomes.

A WARNING AND A CALL TO ACTION

The JMP report concludes with a stark warning: without a drastic increase in resources and political commitment, billions of people will remain without safe water and sanitation by 2030.

“Achieving SDG 6 is not just a technical challenge — it is a moral imperative,” the authors write.

As the world enters the final five years before the SDG deadline, the WHO and UNICEF urge countries to act urgently, equitably and collectively to ensure that clean water and dignified sanitation are accessible to all — no matter where they live.

At a glance:

- 1 in 4 people globally lack safely managed drinking water.

- 3.4 billion lack safely managed sanitation; 1.7 billion lack basic hygiene.

- Open defecation fell by 429 million people since 2015, but 354 million still practice it.

- Rural gains outpace urban progress, but major gaps persist.

- Women and girls remain most affected by water collection and menstrual hygiene challenges.

- Meeting global targets requires an 8× acceleration in water, 6× in sanitation, 2× in hygiene.

The 2024 JMP report lays bare a troubling paradox — while billions have gained access to improved WASH services in the past decade, one in four people still cannot access safe drinking water.

As experts warn, the world’s promise of universal access by 2030 is slipping further away, unless bold, equity‑focused action is taken now to bring clean water and dignity to every home, school and community.