Current status and trends

In 2006, 87 percent of the world’s population uses drinking water from improved sources: 54 percent use piped connections in their dwelling, plot or yard; and the remaining 33 percent use “other improved drinking water sources”.

This translates into 5.7 billion people worldwide using drinking water from an improved source – an increase of 1.6 billion since 1990 – including about 3.6 billion people with a piped connection that provides running water in or near to their homes.

Coverage estimates for 2006 suggest that the population reliant on unimproved drinking water sources fell below one billion – to 884 million – following rapid coverage gains in Eastern Asia, particularly in China.

Improved drinking water coverage in sub-Saharan Africa is still considerably lower than in other regions. Nevertheless, coverage has increased from 49 percent in 1990 to 58 percent in 2006, which means that an additional 207 million Africans are now using safe drinking water.

Proportion of the world’s population using a piped drinking water connection, another improved drinking water source or an unimproved source, 2006


Trends in drinking water coverage by source used, 1990-2006


Source: WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program for Water Supply and Sanitation, May 2008.

The world is on track to meet the drinking water target

Current trends suggest that more than 90 percent of the global population will use improved drinking water sources by 2015. Eighty-seven percent of the world’s population now uses improved drinking water sources, compared to 77 percent in 1990. Gains were made in all regions except Oceania, where coverage slipped back slightly. Eastern Asia stands out for increasing its drinking water coverage by 20 percent, which means that 416 million people have gained access to improved water sources since 1990.

Population forecasts suggest that an additional 784 million people will need to gain access to improved sources to meet the MDG drinking water target. Accelerated progress is needed in sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than a third of those using unimproved drinking water sources.

Urban-rural disparities in drinking water coverage

There remain dramatic differences in the use of improved drinking water sources in urban and rural areas. The world’s rural inhabitants, who represent 84 percent of those using unimproved drinking water sources, remain underserved. An estimated 746 million rural dwellers are without improved drinking water supplies, compared to 137 million urban residents. But coverage continues to grow: 717 million rural inhabitants have gained access to safe drinking water since 1990.

The urban challenge is growing fast. Since 1990, 926 million people in urban areas have gained access to improved drinking water sources. However, in the same period, the world’s urban population rose by 956 million people; resulting in a net 30 million increase in the urban population that rely on unimproved drinking water sources, most of whom live in the cities and towns of the developing world.

References

MDG Assessment Report 2008 - Progress on drinking water and sanitation: Special focus on sanitation [PDF]